Loading map...

1956 Map of Ottawa North

Name: 1956 Topographic Map of Ottawa North
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1976
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1976

About this map

Centropolis sits at the heart of this landscape, surrounded by a dense network of rural schools and churches that defined early settlement life in northern Franklin County. The map reveals a community organized around family and faith, with local institutions such as Union Ch, Chapel Hill Sch, and Mt Evergreen Cem serving the surrounding agricultural sections. Of particular historical note is the Old Indian Boundary, which cuts across the townships of Centropolis and Hayes, a physical reminder of earlier territorial divisions.

The southern edge of the survey transitions into the urban expansion of Ottawa, marked by Ottawa Junction and the industrial activity at the Claypit. The Atchison Topeka and Santa Fe railroad runs through this corridor, while the natural drainage of Eightmile Creek, Sand Creek, and Appanoose Creek shapes the local topography. Further north, Natural Springs Lake and its associated fish hatchery indicate localized land use beyond traditional farming during the mid-20th century.