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1934 Map of Alton

Name: 1934 Topographic Map of Alton
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1946
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1946

About this map

The confluence of the Mississippi River and the Missouri River anchors this mid-century survey, revealing the complex industrial and riparian landscape of the Alton region. Major rail networks, including the Illinois Terminal RR and the Chicago and Alton RR, converge upon riverfront towns like East Alton and Wood River. This era saw a high concentration of specialized institutions such as the Monticello Seminary and Alton State Hospital, while the surrounding bottoms remained agricultural and dotted with rural schoolhouses like Buckstrap Sch and Franklin Sch.

The Illinois side is characterized by heavy infrastructure and drainage projects like the Cahokia Diversion Channel, contrasted by the low-lying Columbia Bottom in Missouri. Notable river features such as Dresser Island and Mobile Island illustrate the shifting channels of the river system before modern navigation controls. The map also records the City of St Louis Farm and the historic site of Ft Bellefontaine, offering a window into the varied land use of the river's floodplains.