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1938 Map of Iowa City

Name: 1938 Topographic Map of Iowa City
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1949
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1949

About this map

The Iowa River valley anchors this mid-century survey of Johnson County, Iowa, centered on the growing urban grid of Iowa City. The map reveals a landscape transitioning from rural agrarian townships to a regional institutional hub, featuring the sprawling University of Iowa campus and the State Sanatorium at Oakdale. Along the Chicago Rock Island and Pacific railroad, small settlements like Tiffin and North Liberty serve as local centers for the surrounding farm country.

A dense network of district schools and country churches defines the social geography of the era. Genealogists can locate numerous rural landmarks such as the St Stanislaus Ch, Mordorsville Ch, and the Oak Hill Cem. The southern townships are particularly rich in local nomenclature, from the meandering Old Man Creek to family-named schoolhouses like Hartsock Sch and Banner Sch, illustrating the detailed rural settlement pattern before the consolidation of the late 20th century.