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1954 Map of Cahokia

Name: 1954 Topographic Map of Cahokia
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1975
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1975

About this map

St Louis and East St Louis anchor this mid-century portrait of the Mississippi riverfront, where the industrial strength of the Illinois side meets the established institutional core of Missouri. The river is a massive logistical corridor, spanned by the Mac Arthur Bridge and lined with critical infrastructure like the U S Engineers Depot and U S Coast Guard station. On the Illinois side, a dense concentration of rail lines including the Illinois Central Gulf Railroad and Terminal Railroad Association serves the riverside communities of Sauget and Cahokia.

Education and urban planning are prominent on both banks, from the Missouri School for Blind and McKinley High Sch in the west to Parks College in the east. Beyond the urban grid, the map reveals the transition into the American Bottoms, featuring drainage systems like Harding Ditch and natural landmarks such as Triple Lakes and Falling Spring. This survey captures the region just as the modern skyline began to take shape, noting the iconic Gateway Arch and Busch Stadium in the heart of the city.