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1950 Map of Leonidas

Name: 1950 Topographic Map of Leonidas
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1950
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1950

About this map

Leonidas and the St Joseph River corridor define this 1950 portrait of southern Michigan, where the boundaries of Kalamazoo, St. Joseph, Branch, and Calhoun counties meet. This agricultural and wetland landscape is heavily defined by the winding course of the Portage River and numerous glacial lakes, including Indian Lake and Portage Lake. The region’s rural social structure is visible through its dense network of district schools such as Factoryville Sch and Cooks Mill Sch, many of which served farming families centered around crossroads like Fulton and Scotts.

Industrial and transport history is marked by the Pennsylvania and Grand Trunk railroads, which facilitated the movement of goods from local points like Kings Mill. For genealogists, the map is a detailed record of local burial sites, preserving the locations of Gilson Cem, Boughton Cem, and the Mendon Cem. The variety of named small-water features, from Goose Pond to Little Portage River, illustrates the complex drainage and land use of the mid-century Midwest.