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1918 Map of Lowell

Name: 1918 Topographic Map of Lowell
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1918
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1918

About this map

Lowell and its surrounding townships in Kent and Ionia counties are defined here by the confluence of major river systems and the robust expansion of early 20th-century transportation. The Grand River cuts a wide path through the northern half of the sheet, mirrored by the Grand Trunk Road and the Pere Marquette railroad, which provided vital connections for agricultural and milling communities. To the south, the Thornapple River and Coldwater River snake through more irregular terrain, supporting outlying settlements like Alaska and Labadie.

Educational life is remarkably dense across the landscape, with dozens of rural institutions such as the Little Brick School and McPherson School marking nearly every section. Small farming hamlets including Whitneyville, Alto, and McCords serve as focal points for local commerce, while the concentration of small lakes—such as Pratt Lake and Camp Lake—indicates the natural drainage patterns that shaped the placement of these early roads and farmsteads.