2012 Map of Athol

About this map

Athol anchors the southern portion of this north-central Kansas landscape, situated near the intersection of several local thoroughfares including Chicago and Main streets. The layout of the town is remarkably compact, giving way quickly to the expansive agricultural grid of Smith County. This map documents a series of critical rural landmarks that are vital for genealogical research, such as Pleasant View Cem, Zion Cem, and Meade Cem. These sites are distributed across a terrain defined by the drainage patterns of W Beaver Cr, Cottonwood Cr, and E Cedar Cr. The road network, including Co Rd 515, follows the section lines of the Public Land Survey System, illustrating how human settlement and transit have been dictated by the geometry of the Great Plains.