Today I go behind the scenes to show what I saw while reviewing the digital map around South Bend, Indiana.
Screen captures come from Google Maps. Minor edits made using MS Paint.
Other images are sourced as noted.
TL;DR
- Introduction
- Fun with Maps
7. Georgetown, IN
6. Roseland, IN
5. Teegarden, IN
4. North Liberty, IN
3. La Paz, IN
2. Notre Dame, IN
1. South Bend, IN - More Fun with Maps
Introduction
After taking a detour to Sturgis, Michigan, David Guardia and the uncanny Manny Rey finally reach South Bend, Indiana.
Along the way, he must have been looking at digital (or even paper) maps.
What was he looking at? What caught his eye? What surprises did he find?
While I can't answer those questions for him, I can answer them for myself.
In our physical offline world, the trip to STURGIS would have been shorter and more efficient (not to mention cheaper) had David Guardia used some navigational aid, be it GPS, a Viking Sunstone, or an uncanny co-pilot. It also would have been a much more boring ride for him (and for us as readers).
Maps are a vital part of The GHAWG Universe, both for me as storyteller and for the characters. As much as I want to have scenes take place at certain locations, the ultimate decider is THE MAP: If the location doesn't make sense for the story, then I can't use it for that story. On the other hand, the map may show me a location I hadn't considered before but makes perfect sense both for utility and symbolism.
While reviewing digital maps, there are times I find locations which get me scratching my head and scruff, get me laughing, or even get me wondering "WTF is this??" This post features what I discovered a couple of pages west of Defiance, Ohio.
Fun with Maps
As with earlier editions of Fun With Maps, a few places on the map
… I had known about over the years;
… are better known by their more famous alternatives; and
… I just hadn't expected at all.
As the story unfolds, David Guardia and co-pilot Manny Rey ride together through Ohio, Indiana, Michigan (briefly), Indiana again, and then Illinois.
Here are the discoveries I made in this section of the ride featuring South Bend, Indiana:
Just to remind myself that this map shows parts of Michigan and Indiana, I added the labels INDIANA. Since the area of Michigan shown is so limited, rather than add a label for Michigan I highlighted the Michigan-Indiana state line; Michigan is included for reference only. Finally, I highlighted 7 locations. I added the label White Pigeon, MI ▬►► for reference. Here are the 7 locations in reverse order of interest:
7. Georgetown, IN
Many places are named Georgetown, the Town of George or the Town of King George. First to my mind is the neighborhood in Washington, D.C., along with Georgetown University.
George Waltz was the person who platted (or mapped out at the division or lot level) the area for the town, and it is for him that Georgetown, Indiana was named.
6. Roseland, IN
New York City has a number of famous dance halls. One of them is the Roseland Ballroom in Manhattan (what many people think of when they hear "New York City").
How did Roseland, Indiana get its name? The sources I looked at were inadequate for answering that question-- even Wikipedia and Google. So here's a question for which I found an answer: Why is Roseland Indiana known as The Gateway Town? Roseland, Indiana is located near the Indiana Toll Road at the exit leading to South Bend/Notre Dame.
5. Teegarden, IN
This unusal name caught my eye for the the sound of the name as it's vocalized or spoken. I haven't encountered this name until recently, and then it's because it's for this edition of Fun with Maps.
This is what genealogy site Geneanet has to say about this name:
TEEGARDEN : Americanized form of German Theegarten: topographic name from Low German te garden 'at the garden or enclosed plot'.
4. North Liberty, IN
While the concept of liberty isn't exactly the same as the concept of freedom, both are better than lack of either.
North Liberty, Indiana itself is part of Liberty Township, founded on 1837-May-2.
3. La Paz, IN
La Paz is Spanish for "peace" or "the peace". As a place name, the most famous La Paz is the capital city of Bolivia. It's also the capital city of the Mexican state of Baka California Sur.
La Paz, Indiana indeed takes its name from the Latin American city (most likely the capital of Bolivia).
2. Notre Dame, IN
When most people hear "Notre Dame," they think either of the world-famous cathedral in Paris, France, or they think of some version of the movie "The Hunchback of Notre Dame". When many people hear "South Bend," they think of Notre Dame University first. That's the association the two places have. Notre Dame is so big it needs its own town.
The town itself has its origins in the humble creation of the school in 1842. A French missionary priest from the Congregation of Holy Cross named Reverend Edward F. Sorin had (back then) USD 300 and three log cabins in bad condition. Since then, the school had grown to the point that its buildings and facilities occupy enough area to be a town in its own right-- and it is.
1. South Bend, IN
By looking at a map of Indiana, we can see that it is located in the northern part of the state, so far north it is a short distance from the state of Michigan north of it. It's in the north part of the state, yet it's called South Bend. It reminds me of that Benny Hill joke where he says he's exempt from paying taxes to the Department of Inland Revenue because he lives on the coast.
Basic geography is the reason this town is named South Bend, which was incorporated in 1865. The St. Joseph River passes near the town, and at that point it is the southernmost of all the bends taken by the river.
More Fun with Maps
Next stop of note for the duo of David Guardia and the uncanny Manny Rey: Gary, Indiana.
Where else in Indiana will David Guardia find himself? What other notable people will he find there? How does his ride further unfold?
Let's find out together as I continue my research and we have more fun with maps.
As more posts in this series are published, they will be added to the pinned post "GHAWGnav: Navigating The GHAWG Universe". Thanks for taking time to see how this part of The GHAWG Universe is being built.
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[!!]See you next time for another edition of Fun with Maps!
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