1968 Map of Big Rock

About this map

Agricultural patterns and small rural centers define this portion of the Illinois prairie in the late 1960s. The landscape is dominated by a grid of section roads like Harter Road and Pritchard Road, connecting the town of Big Rock in the south with Kaneville and the small settlement of Troxel. The Chicago Burlington and Quincy railroad line cuts through the southern tier, serving the local grain and freight economy. Waterways such as Welch Creek and the West Branch of Big Rock Creek meander across the townships, often flanked by the numerous Gravel Pits that suggest a localized extractive industry alongside farming. Genealogists will find the West Big Rock Cem and Pierce Community Ch as key landmarks of the early community footprint, while Plowmans Park provides a glimpse into the area's local recreational spaces during this period.