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1953 Map of Valparaiso

Name: 1953 Topographic Map of Valparaiso
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1955
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1955

About this map

Valparaiso serves as the central hub of this mid-century survey, showcasing a dense network of institutional and educational landmarks including Valparaiso University and several neighborhood schools like Columbia Sch and Hanks Sch. The town is framed by the Lincoln Highway and a trio of major rail lines, including the Grand Trunk Western RR and the New York Chicago and St Louis RR, which underscore its role as a regional transit point.

Moving south from the city center into Porter and Morgan townships, the landscape transitions into a grid of rural crossroads such as Gates Corner and Smoke Corner. Family-named landmarks and local history details are abundant, from the Schultz-Lewis Chapel and Orphanage in the south to the Maplewood Cem and Graceland Cemetery near the urban core. Drainage features like Ahlgrim Ditch and Salt Creek trace the natural topography of this Porter County landscape.