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1939 Map of Rochester

Name: 1939 Topographic Map of Rochester
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1939
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1939

About this map

Rochester anchors this 1930s landscape, centered on its early urban grid and prominent institutional landmarks like the Rochester State Hospital and the Fair Grounds. To the north, the Zumbro River snakes through the townships of Hyde Park and Oakwood, its waters broadening into Zumbro Lake behind a Power House at the White Bridge. The era's transportation network is defined by the Chicago and Northwestern railroad, which connects the regional hub to outlying points like Haverhill Station and Chester.

The rural landscape is remarkably dense with named country schools and churches, reflecting the localized social structure of the time. Small settlements such as Hammond, Bremen, and Viola are surrounded by a grid of schoolhouses including the Culbertson Sch and Sierks Sch. This survey preserves the exact locations of these community centers and family-named landmarks just as the regional topography transitioned into a more modern industrial and agricultural phase.