2021 Map of Appleton

About this map

Appleton anchors this portion of Knox County, where the agricultural landscape meets the residential and recreational development of Oak Run. The terrain is defined by the winding course of Middle Cr and its tributaries, which have carved numerous valleys and ridges into the prairie. To the northeast, the waters of Spoon Lake and Peterson Lake create a distinctive lakeside community structure, contrasting with the traditional grid of rural routes such as Old Wagon Rd. For those researching local family history, several burial grounds are preserved across the sections, including Westfall Cem, Van Gilder Cem, Myers Cem, and Russell Cem. This interplay of established farmsteads, small unincorporated communities, and modern water-focused developments illustrates the evolving land use in the Illinois heartland as it appeared in the early twenty-first century.