1985 Map of Le Mars

About this map

The Floyd River and its West Branch converge near the heart of the Ice Cream Capital of the World in this mid-1980s look at Plymouth County. The city of Le Mars serves as a major regional crossroads, where the Chicago and North Western and Illinois Central Gulf railroads intersect. Local civic and educational life is centered around Westmar College and the Museum, while the outlying landscape retains its agrarian character with the Good Samaritan County Home and the small settlement of Seney to the northeast. Beyond the urban grid, the map records the recreational and utility infrastructure of the era, from the Drive-in Theater and Golf Course to the Municipal Airport and numerous local parks like Cleveland Park and Riverview Park. The terrain is shaped by the winding paths of Willow Creek and the river valley, which historically dictated the placement of rail lines and industrial sites such as the Gravel Pit.