1920 Map of Blue Mounds

About this map

The Wisconsin River meanders across the northern edge of this landscape, its broad valley defined by distinctive landforms like Twin Bluffs, Ferry Bluff, and Cedar Island. This post-World War I environment shows a highly organized rural society, with a dense network of country schools including the Old Town School, Pikes Peak School, and Bohn School spaced to serve farm families in the surrounding hollows. Two major rail corridors anchor the regional economy: the Chicago Milwaukee and St Paul running through the river valley settlements of Arena and Mazomanie, and the Chicago and Northwestern further south, connecting high-ground towns like Barneveld and Ridgeway. The map captures the intricate topography between these routes, where Mill Creek and Vermont Creek cut through the ridges, creating isolated pockets like Knight Valley and Ryan Hollow that supported small communities and the Hyde Church.