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2016 Map of Onward

Name: 2016 Topographic Map of Onward
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 2016
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 2016

About this map

The Wabash River and Pipe Creek systems dictate the landscape of this southern Cass and Miami County borderland. A significant portion of the southeastern quadrant is occupied by the extensive facility of Grissom AFB, now known as the Grissom Air Reserve Base. This massive military installation stands in stark contrast to the small-scale agricultural settlements of Onward and Nead nearby. The map reveals a high density of man-made drainage, including Government Ditch, Sixby Ditch, and Phillips Ditch, which converted the natural wetlands into productive farmland.

Local family history is anchored by several rural burial grounds such as Bowyer Cem and Metzger Cem. Along the northern edge, the settlement of Lewisburg sits near the river banks, while Walton serves as the primary hub in the southwest. The infrastructure transition from the historic river-side hamlet of Lewisburg to the modern airfield at Grissom illustrates the changing strategic and economic priorities of the region over the late 20th century.