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1960 Map of Santa Claus

Name: 1960 Topographic Map of Santa Claus
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1976
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1976

About this map

Lincoln State Park and the historic Lincoln Cabin Site anchor the northwestern corner of this Spencer County landscape, preserving the early environment of Abraham Lincoln's youth. The 1960 topography reveals a region defined by a dual economy of agriculture and heavy industry, where numerous Strip Mines and clusters of Oil Wells break the rural patterns of the Carter and Clay townships. The Southern railroad connects several small settlements, including Santa Claus, Buffaloville, and Lamar, while a network of country churches like Mt Zion Ch and New Hope Ch serve the surrounding farmsteads.

Local genealogy is well-supported by several family and community burial grounds, including Buffaloville Cem, Tableman Cem, and Meeks Cem. Water features such as Lake Lincoln and Crooked Creek define the drainage of the area, which also includes the Nancy Hanks Lincoln State Memorial. This survey provides a clear look at the mid-century transition of the Indiana countryside as industrial extraction and historical preservation began to reshape the traditional landscape of small villages like Liberal and Newtonville.