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1978 Map of Harlan

Name: 1978 Topographic Map of Harlan
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1978
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1978

About this map

The West Fork Nishnabotna River winds through Shelby County, anchoring a landscape defined by traditional Midwestern town planning and agricultural transport. Harlan serves as the dominant hub, centered on its Courthouse and Po (Post Office), with a density of civic infrastructure including the Central Jr High Sch and multiple municipal parks like Potters Park. The map documents a community in transition, showing the active Chicago and North Western line alongside an Old Railroad Grade, tracing the evolution of the local rail economy.

Rural sections are organized into townships such as Westphalia and Douglas, where small landmarks like Rose Hill Cem and the West Ridge Sch provide essential points of interest for genealogists and local historians. To the northeast, the village of Kirkman sits along the river, while peripheral features like the Drive-in Theater and Pauley Landing Field reflect the social and transportation habits of the late 1970s.