1956 Map of Rays Crossing

About this map

The Little Blue River and its tributaries, including Sulphur Run and Cotton Run, define the rural landscape of eastern Shelby County. Small community centers like Rays Crossing and Meltzer serve as focal points for the surrounding agricultural townships of Union, Walker, and Liberty. The map illustrates a shift in local infrastructure, noting the Old RR Gr alongside newer mid-century landmarks such as a Drive-in Theater and a Trailer Park near the edge of Shelbyville. Local spiritual and educational history is deeply rooted here, evidenced by several country churches including Blue River Chapel, Mt Pisgah Ch, and Zion Ch. Genealogists may find value in the location of the Township Sch and family-named sites like Bennett Cem, which sit among the many farmsteads that characterize this portion of the Indiana heartland during the late 1950s and into the 1980s.