1981 Map of Sumnerville

About this map

Sumnerville and Pokagon anchor this 1980s landscape at the boundary of Berrien and Cass Counties, where the Dowagiac River and Dowagiac Creek converge. The topography reveals a transition between active transportation corridors and agricultural quiet, with the Amtrak line running parallel to an Old Railroad Grade. This mix of eras is evident in the proximity of established spiritual and memorial sites, such as Franklin Ch, Morris Chapel, and the expansive Mission Hills Memorial Gardens. To the north, the water-rich terrain around Indian Lake and Rodgers Lake gives way to industrial and civic infrastructure, including the County Memorial Airport and various Gravel Pits. The map documents a rural Michigan community maintaining its traditional settlement patterns while accommodating modern utility, from the Substation in the south to the Sewage Disposal facilities near the northern municipal borders.