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1953 Map of Manhattan

Name: 1953 Topographic Map of Manhattan
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1981
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1981

About this map

The village of Manhattan serves as a central hub in this mid-century Will County landscape, where the confluence of the Norfolk and Western and Milwaukee St Paul and Pacific railroads once drove local commerce. The map illustrates a transition toward modern infrastructure with several pipelines cutting across the agricultural grid, yet the older rural fabric remains visible through family-named institutions like Reiter Sch and Hinspeter Sch.

Aviation history is particularly well-represented with both the New Lenox-Howell Airport and the Johnson Landing Strip established among the fields. To the north, the small settlements of Spencer and Brisbane sit along the Elgin Joliet and Eastern line, while the southern reaches near Wilton are defined by the winding course of Forked Creek and Prairie Creek. Community anchors like the St Joseph Cem and Green Garden Ch provide essential landmarks for genealogists tracing the early township settlements.