1966 Map of Carbondale

Rural life outside the city limits is defined by a network of country churches and small schools such as Drury Ch and Pleasant Hill Sch. The landscape shifts dramatically toward the east and south, where the Crab Orchard National Wildlife Refuge and Shawnee National Forest encompass large water bodies like Crab Orchard Lake and Little Grassy Lake. Settlement at Boskydell and the Crab Orchard Estates reflects the growing residential footprint adjacent to these protected recreation areas.