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1940 Map of Burlington

Name: 1940 Topographic Map of Burlington
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1950
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1950

About this map

The Mississippi River dominates this mid-century landscape, defining the border between Des Moines and Henderson counties. On the Iowa side, the city of Burlington sits across from the Illinois town of Gulfport, connected by a hub of transportation activity including the Chicago Burlington and Quincy railroad. The river's complex hydrology is visible through numerous backwaters and channels like Shokokon Slough, Stony Point Lake, and Jordan Chute.

Rural Illinois life in townships like Gladstone, Carman, and Stronghurst is evidenced by a network of country schools, including Merry Dell Sch and Kirby Sch. The eastern portion of the survey captures the managed drainage of the Ellison Valley, where the Diversion Ditch was constructed to handle the waters of Ellison Creek. Aerial photographs from the Air Corps were utilized by the U.S. Geological Survey to document these intricate waterways and local settlements.