2019 Map of Hope

About this map

Hope serves as the primary hub of this eastern Bartholomew County landscape, where the town’s grid is anchored by Moravian Cem and a dense network of local streets. The surrounding territory is defined by its agricultural heritage and a high concentration of family-named burial grounds and small settlements. To the north and west, the terrain is carved by the Flatrock River and its various tributaries, including Lewis Creek and Sidney Br. The map documents a cluster of historical communities like Old Saint Louis, Flat Rock, and Saint Louis Crossing, many of which remain distinct even as the countryside is modernly subdivided. Genealogists will find particular value in the numerous recorded cemeteries, such as Spaugh Cem, Simmons Cem, and Sidener Cem, which are often the only remaining markers of the early farmstead families who established these townships. The intricate water system, featuring Slash-Loesch Ditch and Chambers Ditch, highlights the region's long-standing reliance on managed drainage for its productive farmland.