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2012 Map of Bluford

Name: 2012 Topographic Map of Bluford
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 2012
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 2012

About this map

Bluford and Markham City anchor this portion of Jefferson County, characterized by a grid of rural roads and active petroleum extraction. The landscape is dotted with legacies of the regional economy, most notably the Bluford Oil Field and the Markham City Oil Field, which illustrate the subsurface industrial activity prevalent in southern Illinois. Transport and water management are defined by the Illinois Central Railroad and the adjacent Illinois Central Reservoir, serving as focal points for local development.

Genealogists and local historians will find several well-preserved rural burial grounds, including Bruce Cem, Mount Zion Cem, and Laird Cem. The hydrology is dominated by the eastward-flowing Fourmile Cr and Shoe Cr, which cut through the agricultural sections. The small settlements of Keenes and Middleton provide further evidence of the historical township structure that has persisted into the twenty-first century.