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1968 Map of Oakwood

Name: 1968 Topographic Map of Oakwood
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1978
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1978

About this map

The Salt Fork river carves a deep, winding path through this portion of Vermilion County, defining the local geography with its dramatic oxbows like Horseshoe Bend. During the late 1960s, the region was characterized by small agricultural and mining-adjacent settlements including Fithian, Muncie, and Fairmount. Transportation was anchored by the Penn Central and Norfolk and Western railroads, which facilitated the movement of goods through the rural landscape.

Genealogists and local historians will find a high density of family and community burial grounds, such as Hickman Cem, Dougherty Cem, and Stearns Cem. Near the settlement of Missionfield, the map reveals recreational and infrastructure landmarks like Camp Drake and the Singing Bridge. The transition from river bottomlands to the surrounding prairie is marked by small tributaries like Stony Creek and Jordan Creek, with Catlett Landing Strip illustrating the era's reliance on small-scale local aviation.