1969 Map of Gypsum

About this map

Catawba Island and the jagged Lake Erie shoreline define this coastal landscape, where the seasonal rhythms of resort life meet heavy industry. By the late 1960s, the area south of Lakeside was dominated by the massive Marblehead Quarry, its extensive excavations and tailings piles marking a sharp contrast to the protected wetlands of East Harbor State Park. The peninsula is crisscrossed by family-named routes like Muggy Road and Lightner Road, serving a community anchored by the Catawba Island Post Office and local landmarks like the Girl Scout Camp. To the south, the industrial hamlet of Gypsum sits along the Conrail line near the shores of Sandusky Bay. This map reveals a complex geographic intersection of recreational waterfronts, like Gem Beach, and the deeply etched footprint of Ohio's limestone and gypsum extraction history.