1972 Map of Altoona

About this map

Altoona and Bondurant anchor this 1970s survey of central Iowa, illustrating a landscape defined by the convergence of rail lines and agricultural drainage. The region is bisected by the Chicago and North Western and the Chicago Rock Island and Pacific railroads, which once drove the growth of these prairie settlements. To the northeast, the South Skunk River and its Old Channel highlight the hydrologic engineering of the era, where a system of ditches manages the heavy soil of Franklin and Beaver townships.