1942 Map of Inkster

About this map

The sprawling Eloise Hospital complex and its associated Eloise Cem anchor the center of this landscape, just before the rapid post-war suburbanization of western Wayne County. Surveyed by A. W. Plushnick and J. H. Taubr, the map captures a transition from agricultural land and early mill sites like Nankin Mills to planned residential developments such as Sherwood Gardens and Rosedale Gardens. The area is defined by its industrial transit corridors, with the Michigan Central RR, Pere Marquette RR, and Wabash RR cutting through the terrain. Evidence of early aviation appears at the National Air Service Airport, while the established settlements of Garden City, Inkster, and Wayne are seen in their pre-1950s configurations. The hydrology of the region is dominated by the branches of the Rouge River, including the Middle Rouge River and Lower Rouge River, which historically powered the local mills.