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1983 Map of Cerro Gordo

Name: 1983 Topographic Map of Cerro Gordo
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1983
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1983

About this map

Cerro Gordo and Milmine anchor this 1980s landscape at the border of Macon and Piatt Counties, where the Norfolk and Western railway cuts a straight path across the central Illinois prairie. To the north, the Sangamon River meanders through a wooded corridor, creating a distinct natural break in the otherwise systematic grid of the Willow Branch and Cerro Gordo townships. This riverine landscape is home to Robert Allerton Park, a significant cultural and natural landmark for the University of Illinois.

Local history is well-preserved through numerous family and community burial sites, including Cronninger Cem, Ater Cem, and West France Cem. These landmarks, along with Friends Creek and several bridges like Hog Chute Bridge, provide specific points of reference for genealogists tracking early settlers in this agricultural heartland. The map reflects a period of established rural infrastructure just before the digital era of mapping.