2023 Map of Leonidas

About this map

Leonidas and Fulton anchor this modern-era study of the rural intersection where Kalamazoo, St. Joseph, Calhoun, and Branch counties meet. The landscape is defined by the winding course of the Saint Joseph River in the south and the intricate drainage of Nottawa Creek and Bear Creek. For genealogists, the map provides precise locations for several burial grounds, including the Indian Cem north of the county line and the Factoryville Cem situated along Mendon Road. The region's low-lying nature is evident in the numerous small water bodies like Marl Lake, Mud Lake, and Oliverda Lake that dot the central and eastern portions of the quadrangle. These wetlands and creeks, including the channelized Snyder and Snyder Drain, suggest a history of careful water management to support the agriculture-dominated terrain that connects these small Michigan communities.