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1955 Map of Balltown

Name: 1955 Topographic Map of Balltown
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1973
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1973

About this map

The Mississippi River creates a powerful border between Wisconsin and Iowa in this mid-century survey, defining a landscape of steep coulees and riverine islands. On the Iowa side, the communities of Balltown and Old Balltown sit atop the high ridges of Jefferson township, overlooking the vast Upper Mississippi River Wildlife and Fish Refuge. The lowlands are marked by a complex network of backwaters like McCartney Lake and several named landforms including Hurricane Island and Rosebrook Island.

Industry and education are etched into the hillsides of both states. In Wisconsin, the winding Grant River and Boice Creek support the settlements of Burton and McCartney, while numerous rural schoolhouses—such as Sinners Creek Sch and Pea Ridge Sch—point to the era's decentralized community structure. The presence of several Quarries and the parallel tracks of the Burlington Northern and Chicago Milwaukee St Paul and Pacific railroads illustrate the corridor's role as a vital transportation and resource artery.