1951 Map of Hastings

About this map

The Thornapple River winds through this mid-century landscape, anchoring the development of Hastings and Middleville. This 1951 field-checked survey reveals a rural Michigan county transitioning from early agricultural patterns to a recreation-oriented landscape, as seen in the expansive Yankee Springs Recreation Area and numerous clusters of lakeside cottages around Gun Lake and Algonquin Lake. The map is particularly dense with small-scale rural infrastructure, from one-room schoolhouses like Wood Sch and Little Brick Sch to small rural cemeteries such as Bowerman Cem. The New York Central railroad corridor remains a primary transportation artery, connecting smaller settlements like Irving to the regional hub at Hastings. For the researcher, the map preserves the exact locations of vanished community centers like Schultz and Carlton Center before modern expansion altered the local geography.