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1889 Map of Amana

Name: 1889 Topographic Map of Amana
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1889
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1889

About this map

The Amana colonies and their distinct communal settlement pattern dominate the southern portion of this 1888 survey, clustered near the winding Iowa River. Each village, from West Amana and Hohe Amana to East Amana, is clearly defined during a period of peak cultural isolation and agricultural self-sufficiency. This landscape is a patchwork of communal labor and transportation connectivity, where three major rail lines bisect the prairie to serve these burgeoning agricultural centers.

North of the river, the Chicago and Northwestern Railroad passes through Norway and Watkins, while the Chicago Milwaukee and St. Paul Railroad skirts the northern edge through Newhall and Atkins. The proximity of these lines to the Amana villages, particularly at Homestead, illustrates the balance between the community's inward-looking social structure and its essential commercial link to the wider Midwest.