HISTORIX Vintage 1870 Battle Creek Michigan Map Poster - 24x36 Inch Vintage Bird's Eye View of Battle Creek Calhoun County Michigan Wall Map Print

Illustrated and published by the early pioneer of the panoramic map form, Albert Ru ger, this detailed depiction of Battle Creek, Michigan shows the city in a period of significant growth and transformation in the years following the conclusion of the American Civil War. The post-war years attracted large numbers of immigrants from Western Europe and the American South to the town, and it became known as the "Cereal City" due to the large Kellogg factory that spurred local economic growth and attracted workers. Ru ger was one of the first cartographers to produce bird's eye perspectives which were used as marketing materials to promote local civic features, economic opportunities, and other attractions to entice residents and merchants alike. Ru ger's work bears a distinguished aesthetic and unique style that immediately transports the viewer back in time, creating an indelible bond between the past and present. Battle Creek is located at the confluence of the Kalamazoo and Battle Creek rivers, which influenced local development since the first European settlers arrived in the early eighteenth century. The completion of the Erie Canal in 1824 opened the region to expansion from the Northeast, particularly Massachusetts, and New York. The area's fertile farming grounds attracted residents, and numerous farms and ranches were established. By the latter portion of the eighteenth century, Battle Creek was experiencing a period of considerable prosperity as the United States underwent reconstruction following the Civil War. This is a unique piece of American cartographical history that captures Battle Creek during a transformative time.