Loading map...

1956 Map of Ottumwa South

Name: 1956 Topographic Map of Ottumwa South
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1958
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1958

About this map

The Des Moines River winds through the northern portion of this mid-century landscape, carving a valley that separates the southern reaches of Ottumwa from the rural townships of Lick Creek and Salt Creek. This 1956 survey documents a transition in rural education, noting numerous active country schoolhouses like IXL Sch alongside several facilities already marked as defunct, such as Ormanville Sch (Abandoned) and Parish College Sch (Abandoned).

The southern half of the map centers on the agricultural hubs of Drakesville and Bloomfield, where the Wabash RR and Chicago Rock Island and Pacific RR converge. These rail corridors supported a network of small settlements and stations like Belknap and Floris. Genealogists will find a wealth of named burial sites, from the Shaul Cem near the city to the remote Shunem Cem and Rouch Cem tucked away near the winding Chequest Creek.