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1970 Map of Ames

Name: 1970 Topographic Map of Ames
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1972
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1972

About this map

Agricultural fields and meandering creek bottoms define this portion of southwestern Illinois at the border of Monroe Co and Randolph Co. The landscape is anchored by the crossroads at Ames and the larger settlement of Red Bud, where the Gulf Mobile and Ohio railroad cuts a diagonal line through the northern territory. This 1970 field-checked survey reveals a rural society structured around small communities like Tipton and Ruma, with numerous parish and family burial grounds such as St Johns Cem, St Peter Cem, and Rebenack Cem.

Waterways like Horse Branch and Prairie Creek drain the wooded hollows that break up the upland farms. Notable for genealogists is the St Patrick Sch Cem near the southern edge, indicating the historical colocation of education and faith in these rural townships. From the recreation at Lake Mildred to the scattered ponds like Minnow Ponds, the map provides a clear record of land use before further modern consolidation.