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1930 Map of Niles

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

USGS Topo · Published 1930

About this map

The ST Joseph River snakes through the heart of Berrien County, defining the landscape of southwestern Michigan just north of the Michigan Indiana border. This area is characterized by a dense network of early 20th-century rural infrastructure, where local life centered around small settlements like Berrien Springs and Buchanan. The presence of Emmanuel Missionary College near the river bend highlights the region's educational development during this era.

Genealogists will find a wealth of family-named landmarks and rural institutions, from the Ruggles Cem and Hinman Cem to a multitude of country schools such as Shawnee Sch and Kittinger Sch. The map also traces the critical transportation corridors of the day, including the Michigan Central Railroad and the Chicago And West Michigan Railroad, which linked these agricultural communities to the wider industrial Midwest.