1951 Map of Hastings

About this map

Hastings serves as the focal point of this Barry County landscape, where the New York Central railroad corridor meets the winding Thornapple River. The map reveals a post-war rural infrastructure defined by a dense network of country schoolhouses, such as Little Brick Sch, Yeckley Sch, and Jones Sch, many of which were the social anchors for surrounding farmsteads. To the west, the Yankee Springs Recreation Area and Barry Game Area preserve a rugged terminal moraine landscape dotted with dozens of kettle lakes like Gun Lake and Deep Lake. This 1951 field-checked survey captures the transition of the region's water bodies, from the industrial riverside of Middleville to the developing recreational shorelines at Algonquin Lake. Genealogists will find significant value in the clearly marked rural burial grounds, including the Jesuit Cem and Bowerman Cem.