1960 Map of Manilla

About this map

The Pennsylvania railroad line cuts a diagonal path through this 1960 landscape of Rush County, connecting the grain and gas-producing hub of Manilla to the surrounding townships. This era in south-central Indiana is defined by a dense grid of rural infrastructure, where numerous gas wells are interspersed among established family landmarks like Sells Cem and Homer Cem. The drainage pattern is heavily modified by an extensive network of artificial channels, including Arbuckle Ditch and Goddard Ditch, which support the intensive agriculture between the natural flows of the Blue River and the Flatrock River. To the south, the community of Gowdy sits near the Big Flat Rock Ch, while a notable Covered Bridge spans the river nearby, marking a traditional crossing point in a region increasingly defined by industrial utility and early resource extraction.