1951 Map of Smedley

About this map

Rush Creek Valley sits at the heart of this mid-century Indiana landscape, where the deeply dissected topography of Jefferson and Washington townships creates a network of ridges and hollows. The rural character of the era is defined by family-named landmarks and local institutions, including Prowsville Ch and the nearby Prowsville Cem. To the north, McKinley and Haleysburg anchor the higher ground of Fleener Ridge, while the southern reaches are dominated by the activity along the Chicago Indianapolis and Louisville railroad corridor. Here, the small settlement of Smedley and the dual-named Oxonia (Hitchcock Sta) represent the vital rail-and-road connections of the early 1950s. The map provides excellent detail for genealogists, showing precisely where Walnut Grove Sch and Four Corners Sch served these upland farming communities before the consolidation of rural school districts.