1936 Map of Redford

About this map

The Rouge River and its various tributaries like Pebble Creek and Tarabusi Creek define the landscape of this northwestern Detroit suburban frontier in the mid-1930s. The map illustrates a transitional period where large agricultural tracts in Livonia and Farmington are being segmented by early twentieth-century residential developments, including the Westmore Subdivision and Grand River Oaks Subdivision. A dense network of grid-patterned roads, named from Twelve Mile Rd down to Schoolcraft Ave, frames the growth of Clarenceville and Southfield Center. Notably, the area is rich with institutional landmarks and community centers of the era, such as the Childrens Hospital of Mich (Convalescent Home) and the Methodist Children Home Society. These features, alongside numerous local schools like Beech Rd Sch and Hettie Bristol Sch, reflect a burgeoning residential community established before the post-war suburban explosion.