1917 Map of Birds

About this map

The Wabash River and its wandering floodplains dominate this territory along the Illinois and Indiana border, creating a landscape defined by oxbows like Buzzard Pond and Grays Pond. In the early twentieth century, this region was a network of rural school districts and small villages connected by the Chicago and Cincinnati St Louis RR. The density of educational landmarks, from the McCarthy School in the northwest to the Rising Sun School in the south, illustrates the decentralized community structure of the era. Settlement concentrated in towns such as Robinson, Palestine, and Flat Rock, while river life relied on historic crossings like the Brightlight Ferry and Shaws Landing. Low-lying areas near the Embarrass River show extensive drainage efforts, including the Beaver Pond Ditch, reflecting the ongoing effort to reclaim fertile bottomlands for agriculture.