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1909 Map of Howell

Name: 1909 Topographic Map of Howell
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1909
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1909

About this map

The Howell and Brighton corridor in Livingston County is anchored by a significant railway intersection where the Pere Marquette RR crosses the Ann Arbor RR. This network supported a landscape of scattered rural hamlets and institutional landmarks, notably the State Sanitarium southwest of the Howell town center. The map captures the early automotive era along the Grand River Road (Detroit and Grand Rapids Line), which served as a primary artery between major Michigan cities long before the modern interstate system.

Glacial topography is evident through the dense clusters of lakes, including Thompson Lake, Long Lake, and Crooked Lake, which dictated the winding paths of local routes like Thompson Lake Road. Local civic life is documented through numerous district schools such as Julia School and Wolf School, alongside small community hubs like Parshallyville and Oak Grove, providing a clear view of the county's social geography at the start of the twentieth century.