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1936 Map of Pontiac North

Name: 1936 Topographic Map of Pontiac North
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1936
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1936

About this map

Lake Angelus and its surrounding wetlands form the center of this Oakland County landscape, recorded during a period of significant local growth. The map illustrates the transition from the lake-dotted rural townships of Independence and Orion to the expanding urban grid of northern Pontiac. A concentration of civic and social infrastructure is evident, including the expansive grounds of the Pontiac State Asylum and several neighborhood institutions like the Bethel Tabernacle and Pontiac General Hospital.

Industrial and transport networks are anchored by the Grand Trunk Western Railroad, which skirts the eastern edge of the city. Smaller communities and residential developments like Clintonville, Drayton Plains, and Elizabeth Lake Estates are well-defined, showing the early footprints of suburban expansion. Numerous schools, from the Sashabaw Sch in the north to the Bagley Sch in the city, suggest a well-established community during the mid-1930s.