Maps at the Historical Society

The Jasper County Historical Society Museum has an exhibit of maps that will run to the end of the month. For this exhibit the museum is open every Saturday from 10:00 until 1:00. If you cannot make that, you might try their monthly meeting tomorrow (Tuesday) at 6:30 pm.

Part of the exhibit is from the Indiana Historical Society and titled, "Indiana through the Mapmaker's Eye."

I found the local maps from the museum's collection more interesting. Here is an old map in which Jasper County is the biggest county in the state. Newton county as we know it today came into existence in 1859.

Below is a map of airline routes from 1953. The LCA routes in Indiana were those of Lake Central Airlines.

The museum had a guessing contest on one map. When was it published? Below is a section of the map that gives some clues to narrow the date range.

The map had ads on the sides. Where was West Side Grocery located? Rick's Pizza occupies what was once a gas station on SR 114. Was there another to the west?

I remember Arihood's Tire Market and know where the Rensselaer Locker plant used to be--the building still exists. The Planing Mill was where the laundry next to the Iroquois River is now located.

I suspect that Karch's General Store was the only store in Gifford. Kanne's is now the City Office and Pub.

The museum has a collection of old clothing and usually has some on display. These dresses were owned by Tillie Malchow who was born in 1884.

The outside window along the highway has some handcrafted farm models made by Jerry Knip, who was the owner of Jerry's Welding Service in Virgie.