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1945 Map of Hadley

Name: 1945 Topographic Map of Hadley
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1945
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1945

About this map

Hadley serves as the central hub of this mid-1940s landscape, situated where the glacial topography of Lapeer County creates a dense network of kettle lakes and wetlands. The settlement pattern is defined by a traditional grid of rural schoolhouses and churches, including South Hadley Ch and a collection of family-named institutions like Kerr Sch, Merwin Sch, and Kipp Sch. These sites, along with Green Corners Cem, provide essential anchor points for genealogists tracing early twentieth-century residents.

The terrain is characterized by prominent elevations such as Kerr Hill and Pinnacle Point, which overlook a complex drainage system featuring Hasler Creek and Kearsley Creek. Dozens of named water bodies, from the larger Big Fish Lake to the smaller Mitten Lake and Bunnel Lake, illustrate the post-glacial hydrology of the region. This 1945 survey captures the area just before significant postwar suburban expansion began to alter the character of the tri-county border between Lapeer, Genesee, and Oakland counties.