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1953 Map of Blackhawk

Name: 1953 Topographic Map of Blackhawk
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1956
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1956

About this map

The riverfront of Blackhawk and the surrounding river bluffs are meticulously detailed in this early 1950s study of the Illinois-Iowa border. The Upper Mississippi River Wildlife and Fish Refuge dominates the bottomland, a complex network of backwaters including Cheek Slough, Horseshoe Lake, and Buckwheat Slough. Along the eastern banks, the landscape rises sharply into the Mississippi Palisades State Park, where the Chicago Burlington and Quincy railroad tracks skirt the base of the limestone cliffs.

Upland from the river, the landscape of Washington and Derinda townships is dotted with small rural centers of community life. Genealogists can identify localized landmarks such as Holy Trinity Ch, the Massbach Cem, and several one-room schoolhouses like Knapp Sch and Oakland Sch. The transition from the rugged drainage of Rush Creek to the industrial presence of the Transformer Sta near Lainsville illustrates the region's mid-century balance between traditional agriculture and modern infrastructure.