1950 Map of Lawrence East

About this map

The University of Kansas and the Haskell Institute anchor the western edge of this mid-century landscape, where the urban grid of Lawrence meets the wide floodplains of the Kansas River. The map reveals a dense network of local education and community life, tracing numerous rural schoolhouses such as Bismarck Sch, Walnut Grove Sch, and Fairview Sch. To the north, the Union Pacific tracks pass through Bismarck Grove, while the Atchison Topeka and Santa Fe railroad skirts the southern bluffs near Blue Mound. The terrain is defined by the winding course of the Wakarusa River and its tributaries like Coal Creek, protected in parts by a Levee system. This 1950s survey captures the city's eastern expansion and the critical intersection of major rail lines and river valleys that shaped Douglas County's development.