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1955 Map of Manhattan

Name: 1955 Topographic Map of Manhattan
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1964
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1964

About this map

Kansas State College dominates the central landscape of this mid-1950s survey, surrounded by the growing grid of Manhattan. The town sits at the strategic confluence where the Big Blue River meets the Kansas River, a site defined by fertile lowlands like Moehlman Bottoms and Ashland Bottoms. The mapping reveals a community focused on education and infrastructure, with numerous neighborhood institutions including Bluemont School, Eugene Field School, and the College Hill School serving the residential blocks.

Transportation and utility networks are clearly delineated, showing the Union Pacific and Chicago Rock Island and Pacific railroad lines threading through the river valleys. Prominent local landmarks of the era include the Riley County Hospital, Memorial Stadium, and the Chimney power plant near Rocky Ford. These details, combined with rural features like Hunters Island and Sunset Cemetery, provide a look at the region's mid-century development before major modern landscape changes.