1928 Map of Brighton

About this map

Macoupin Creek meanders across the northern reaches of this rural landscape, marking a transition between the more dissected creek bottoms and the level prairie uplands of southwestern Illinois. During the mid-1920s, this region was defined by a dense network of one-room schools and small farming hubs tied together by three major rail lines. The Chicago and Alton and the Chicago Burlington and Quincy railroads intersect at Brighton, while the Chicago Peoria and St Louis serves the western edge through Medora and Fidelity. Genealogists will find a wealth of local landmarks, including over twenty named schools such as Brush College School and Washington School, alongside rural meeting places like Bethel Church and Paradise Church. The map captures the agricultural economy just as early aerial photography, conducted by the Army Air Corps, began to modernize topographical surveying in Macoupin and Jersey counties.