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1949 Map of Coal Valley

Name: 1949 Topographic Map of Coal Valley
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1949
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1949

About this map

The Rock River valley serves as a bustling corridor of industry and transportation in this mid-century survey of the Illinois landscape. The map highlights a diverse economy, from the urban expansion of Moline and South Moline in the northwest to the agricultural and extractive zones of the south. Evidence of the region’s coal heritage is found in the village of Coal Valley and nearby operations like the Black Hawk Mine and Gem Mine.

Transit networks are well-defined, featuring the Illinois and Mississippi Canal and the Chicago Burlington and Quincy railroad. Local community life is documented through numerous country schools, such as the Kingdom Sch and Anderson Sch, alongside various family-named burial grounds like Rose Lawn Cem and Bowlesburg Cem. The presence of the Metropolitan Airport and several sloughs, including Greenwood Slough, reflects the varied land use along the river plain.