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1959 Map of Spanaway

Name: 1959 Topographic Map of Spanaway
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1965
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1965

About this map

Mc Chord Air Force Base dominates the northwestern portion of this Pierce County landscape, reflecting the significant military presence in the region during the late 1950s. The airfield and its associated storage areas sit adjacent to the recreational waters of Spanaway Lake, where Daron Island and nearby parks like Holiday Park provide a stark contrast to the structured military installations. The map captures a transition from suburban development in Spanaway and Brookdale to the more open, rural expanses of the Thirteenth Division Prairie.

Transportation and education infrastructure appear as primary drivers of local growth, with the Chicago Milwaukee St Paul and Pacific railroad cutting diagonally across the terrain near Loveland. Local family and community history is anchored by sites such as the Jeschke Cemetery and Henry Smith Cemetery in the south, alongside institutional landmarks like the Mary Mount Military Academy and Bethel High Sch.