1964 Map of Burlington

About this map

The Mississippi River creates a complex landscape of braided channels and expansive islands in this mid-1960s study of the Iowa-Illinois border. On the western bluffs, Burlington is a dense urban center characterized by a high concentration of neighborhood schools, including North Hill Sch, Corse Sch, and Salter Sch. The city’s southern edge is defined by significant green spaces like Crapo Park and Dankwardt Memorial Park, which overlook the shifting waters of Sullivan Slough and Burlington Island. Across the river in Illinois, the environment shifts toward low-lying agricultural land and sloughs such as Mooney Pocket and Otter Bay. This contrast illustrates the historic development of a river city where the steep relief of the Flint Hills dictated early settlement patterns, while the eastern floodplain remained dedicated to drainage systems like the Diversion Ditch and small settlements like Gulfport.