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1953 Map of Aledo West

Name: 1953 Topographic Map of Aledo West
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1977
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1977

About this map

The Chicago Burlington and Quincy railroad cuts a straight east-west line across this Mercer County landscape, connecting the agricultural communities of Joy and Aledo. While Aledo serves as a primary hub with institutional landmarks like the Roosevelt Military Academy, Aledo Grammar School, and the Mercer County Hospital, the surrounding townships of Millersburg, Duncan, and Ohio Grove maintain a rural character defined by scattered homesteads and local landmarks.

Waterways like the Edwards River to the north and Pope Creek to the south create natural breaks in the grid, where dense woodlands line the creek banks. Genealogists will find significant value in the distribution of rural burial sites and places of worship, including the Peniel Church, Brick Cemetery, and the dual-named Candon Cemetery Pope River Church. The map also captures local social centers, from the Mercer County Fair Ground to the Oak View Country Club, illustrating the mid-century development of this Illinois prairie region.