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1944 Map of Memphis

Name: 1944 Topographic Map of Memphis
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1944
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1944

About this map

Memphis sits at the intersection of the St Clair Co Macomb Co line, serving as a focal point for this wartime survey of the Michigan thumb region. The landscape is defined by the winding course of the Belle River, which carves through the townships of Riley and Richmond. This area maintains a dense network of local landmarks that suggest a tightly knit rural society, with nearly a dozen neighborhood schoolhouses such as Bywater Sch, Frost Sch, and Sweeney Sch spaced at regular intervals along the section roads.

Industrial and transport connections are dominated by the Grand Trunk Western railroad corridor passing through Emmett in the north. The map documents a sophisticated drainage system, including the Cowhy Drain and Tallmadge Drain, essential for managing the agricultural lowlands surrounding Riley Center. Genealogists will find particular value in the clearly marked Memphis Cem and the myriad of family-named roads like Rynn Rd and Tibbets Road that grid the countryside.