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1953 Map of Manhattan

Name: 1953 Topographic Map of Manhattan
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1955
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1955

About this map

The village of Manhattan serves as a central junction for three major rail lines in the early 1950s, where the Wabash and Chicago Milwaukee St Paul and Pacific tracks intersect south of the Elgin Joliet and Eastern line. This survey captures a rural Illinois landscape transitioning into a more industrial era, evidenced by the Tank Farm positioned along the western rail corridor. Despite these developments, the area maintains its agricultural roots, organized around landmarks like the Green Garden Ch and rural education centers such as Reiter Sch.

The geography of the region is defined by the Old Indian Boundary cutting diagonally across the quadrangle, a significant historical line that separates different land surveys and townships. To the north, the settlement of New Lenox and the small hamlet of Spencer are nestled near Jackson Branch, while the Spencer Sch (Abandoned) stands as a marker of shifting local demographics during this post-war period.