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1943 Map of St. Charles

Name: 1943 Topographic Map of St. Charles
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1943
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1943

About this map

The Shiawassee River and Tittabawassee River converge in this mid-century survey of Saginaw County, revealing a landscape defined by industrial extraction and agricultural drainage. Coal mining operations, including No 3 Mine south of St. Charles, anchor the local economy alongside the extensive rail network of the New York Central and Pere Marquette. The map meticulously records the heavy reliance on artificial drainage systems like Hubbell Drain and Murphy Drain to manage the low-lying terrain near the Flint River.

Smaller settlements and rural hubs such as Hemlock, Brant, and Shattuckville are documented at a time when one-room schoolhouses remained the primary educational infrastructure. From the Lutheran Sch to the Indiantown Sch, these structures, along with landmarks like the Town Hall and Oakwood Cemetery, provide a dense record of family life and community organization in the river-fed townships before later 20th-century consolidation.