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1930 Map of Niles

Name: 1930 Topographic Map of Niles
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1950
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1950

About this map

The St Joseph River anchors this landscape as it winds through Berrien County, connecting the industrial hubs of Buchanan and Niles. In the late 1920s, this region was a complex network of rail lines including the Michigan Central and Pere Marquette, which served the agricultural hinterlands. The map reveals a dense distribution of rural education and community centers, from the Emmanuel Missionary College near Berrien Springs to numerous country schools like Batchelors Sch and Hills Sch.

Evidence of early 20th-century recreation is visible at Camp Oronoko and Camp Betz along the river's edge. This survey, compiled in part from early Air Corps aerial photographs, offers a look at the transition from small rural settlements like Arden and Bakertown to the more established city centers. Genealogists will find many family-named landmarks and cemeteries, such as Ruggles Cem and Hinman Cem, which pinpoint the locations of early area residents.