Old Maps of Cowden, Illinois for Metal Detecting

Plan your next treasure hunt with 20 historic maps of Cowden. Find old homesites, ghost towns, trails, and gathering spots that may be lost to time — perfect for identifying promising metal detecting locations.

  • Locate forgotten sites: Uncover places like long-lost settlements, abandoned rail lines, or gathering spots.
  • Plan better hunts: Use map overlays combined with LiDAR or satellite views to narrow in on historically rich areas.
  • Made for detectorists: Thousands of hobbyists use these maps to discover relics, coins, and hidden history.

Use these historic maps to boost your research and find new opportunities beneath the surface of Cowden.


Cowden, IL maps

(20)
  1. 1941 Map of St. Elmo, 1958 Print
    1941 Map of St. Elmo, 1958 Print
    1941 St. Elmo
    1958 Print · USGS
    The Illinois counties of Fayette, Shelby, and Effingham are mapped here in the early 1940s at the height of their rail-and-refinery era. Genealogists and historians can trace numerous country schools like Martin Box Sch and churches like Crums Chapel near the Carter Refinery.
    2 unique versions available

  2. 1942 Map of Shelbyville, 1958 Print
    1942 Map of Shelbyville, 1958 Print
    1942 Shelbyville
    1958 Print · USGS
    Shelby County at the start of the 1940s reveals a landscape defined by the winding Kaskaskia River and its many bridge crossings. Researchers can trace family history through dozens of rural landmarks like Williamsburg Hill, Glenwood Cem, and Sandy Hill Sch.
    2 unique versions available

  3. 1945 Map of St. Elmo
    1945 Map of St. Elmo
    1945 St. Elmo
    1945 Print · USGS
    Fayette and Effingham counties are seen here in the 1940s at a peak of rail and river industry. Genealogists and historians can trace family locations near Saint Elmo, locate the Carter Refinery, or find rural landmarks like Crums Chapel and Meyers Cem.
    2 unique versions available

  4. 1946 Map of Shelbyville
    1946 Map of Shelbyville
    1946 Shelbyville
    1946 Print · USGS
    Mid-century Shelby County centers on the rail-and-river hub of Shelbyville during an era of thriving rural townships. Genealogists can trace hundreds of family sites, from the County Poor Farm to Ragweed Sch and Gallagher Chapel Cem.
    2 unique versions available

  5. 1958 Map of Decatur, 1971 Print
    1958 Map of Decatur, 1971 Print
    1958 Decatur
    1971 Print · USGS
    Central Illinois in the mid-twentieth century shows a landscape defined by industrial rail hubs and the creation of large reservoirs. Researchers can trace historic corridors like the Penn Central or locate landmarks such as Lincoln Log Cabin State Park and Lake Springfield.
    3 unique versions available

  6. 1961 Map of Decatur
    1961 Map of Decatur
    1961 Decatur
    1961 Print · USGS
    Central Illinois in the late fifties was a bustling corridor of rail lines and prairie commerce centered on the state capital. Genealogists and historians can trace the intricate connections between Springfield, Decatur, and dozens of smaller settlements like Nokomis and Arcola.
    2 unique versions available

  7. 1981 Map of Fancher, 1982 Print
    1981 Map of Fancher, 1982 Print
    1981 Fancher
    1982 Print · USGS
    Shelby County farmland and the winding Kaskaskia River valley are captured here in the early eighties. Local historians can trace rail-side settlements like Fancher and Clarksburg or locate historic sites like the Thompson Mill Covered Bridge and Gallagher Chapel Cem.

  8. 1983 Map of Beecher City
    1983 Map of Beecher City
    1983 Beecher City
    1983 Print · USGS
    Beecher City and the surrounding prairie were hubs of rail and resource extraction in the early 1980s. Genealogists can locate family burial sites like Tipsword Cem and Hubbard Cem, or trace the tracks of the Baltimore and Ohio through Moccasin.

  9. 1986 Map of Effingham
    1986 Map of Effingham
    1986 Effingham
    1986 Print · USGS
    Central Illinois during the mid-eighties was a hub of rail travel and water recreation centered on the new reservoirs. Genealogists and historians can trace the rural landscape between Mattoon and Effingham, locating landmarks like St Paul Ch and Eagle Creek State Park.
    2 unique versions available

  10. 1998 Map of Fancher, 2003 Print
    1998 Map of Fancher, 2003 Print
    1998 Fancher
    2003 Print · USGS
    Shelby County at the end of the twentieth century remains centered on the winding Kaskaskia River and its rural settlements. Genealogists can trace family landmarks like the Thompson Mill Covered Bridge, Gallagher Chapel Cem, and Fancher Cem.

  11. 2012 Map of Fancher, 2012 Print
    2012 Map of Fancher, 2012 Print
    2012 Fancher
    2012 Print · USGS
    Shelby County's rural heartland and the winding path of the Kaskaskia River are shown here in the early twenty-first century. Researchers can locate numerous family-named burial sites like Edwards Cem and Hodson Cem or the landmark Thompson Mill Covered Bridge.

  12. 2012 Map of Beecher City, 2012 Print
    2012 Map of Beecher City, 2012 Print
    2012 Beecher City
    2012 Print · USGS
    Shelby and Effingham counties are shown here in the early twenty-first century, centered on the oil-producing lands of Beecher City. Genealogists can locate several rural burial sites, including Ranson Cem and Moccasin Cem, near the Loudon Oil Field.

  13. 2015 Map of Beecher City, 2015 Print
    2015 Map of Beecher City, 2015 Print
    2015 Beecher City
    2015 Print · USGS
    The rural borders of Shelby, Fayette, and Effingham counties come into focus in the mid-2010s. Local researchers can trace family sites across a landscape dotted with landmarks like Hubbartt Cem, Moccasin, and the riverfront at Cowden.

  14. 2015 Map of Fancher, 2015 Print
    2015 Map of Fancher, 2015 Print
    2015 Fancher
    2015 Print · USGS
    Shelby County’s rural river country is documented here during the mid-2010s, centered on the winding course of the Kaskaskia River. Genealogists and historians can trace numerous family burial sites and landmarks like the Thompson Mill Covered Bridge and Mount Carmel Cem.

  15. 2018 Map of Fancher, 2018 Print
    2018 Map of Fancher, 2018 Print
    2018 Fancher
    2018 Print · USGS
    Shelby County land is shaped by the winding Kaskaskia River and its timbered creeks in the late twenty-teens. Genealogists can trace family names through numerous rural burial sites like Fortner Cem and Hodson Cem, or locate the historic Thompson Mill Covered Bridge.

  16. 2018 Map of Beecher City, 2018 Print
    2018 Map of Beecher City, 2018 Print
    2018 Beecher City
    2018 Print · USGS
    The borderlands of Shelby and Effingham counties are captured here in the late 2010s, showing a landscape defined by the Kaskaskia River. Researchers can trace family sites at Hubbartt Cem, Moccasin, and the village of Beecher City.

  17. 2021 Map of Fancher, 2021 Print
    2021 Map of Fancher, 2021 Print
    2021 Fancher
    2021 Print · USGS
    Fancher and the Shelby County countryside are shown in the early 2020s as a landscape of river-fed farmland. Genealogists can trace family names across numerous burial grounds like Gallagher Chapel and landmarks such as the Thompson Mill Covered Bridge.

  18. 2021 Map of Beecher City, 2021 Print
    2021 Map of Beecher City, 2021 Print
    2021 Beecher City
    2021 Print · USGS
    The crossroads of Shelby, Fayette, and Effingham counties come into focus in the early 2020s, revealing a landscape defined by the Kaskaskia River. Researchers can trace family history through numerous rural landmarks like Hubbartt Cem, Moccasin, and the quiet streets of Beecher City.

  19. 2024 Map of Beecher City, 2024 Print
    2024 Map of Beecher City, 2024 Print
    2024 Beecher City
    2024 Print · USGS
    Effingham and Shelby Counties come together in this modern survey of the Kaskaskia River basin. Genealogists and local researchers can pinpoint family burial sites like Tipsword Cem or Pleasant Grove Cem and trace the rural lanes around Beecher City and Moccasin.

  20. 2024 Map of Fancher, 2024 Print
    2024 Map of Fancher, 2024 Print
    2024 Fancher
    2024 Print · USGS
    Shelby County's rural river valleys and small crossroads are mapped here in the early twenty-first century. Researchers can trace numerous family burial sites and historical locations like Cowden, Fancher, and the Gallagher Chapel Cem.

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