1986 Map of New Castle

About this map

Fort Benjamin Harrison Military Reservation stands on the western edge of this East Central Indiana landscape, anchoring a region defined by its productive agricultural plains and growing suburban centers. The map documents the mid-1980s expansion of communities like Greenfield, New Castle, and Shelbyville, connected by a dense lattice of transportation corridors including I-70 and the Conrail line. Water remains a central geographic feature, with the Big Blue River and Flatrock River cutting southwesterly paths across the county lines of Hancock, Henry, and Wayne. Large reservoirs such as Geist Reservoir and the northern reaches of Brookville Lake highlight the engineering of the era to manage the region's complex drainage. Smaller 19th-century settlements like Knightstown, Cambridge City, and Spiceland maintain their distinct footprints along the historic U.S. 40 corridor, reflecting the area's transition from a rural rail-and-road economy toward modern metropolitan integration.