1953 Map of Coal Valley

About this map

Industrial expansion and rural landscapes meet along the Rock River in this mid-century survey of the Illinois borderlands. The northern portion of the map is dominated by the urban density of Moline, East Moline, and Silvis, where residential neighborhoods and schools like Roosevelt School and Township High Sch are shown in detail. In contrast, the southern reaches transition into the rolling terrain of Rural and Western townships, where the local economy was anchored by coal extraction at the Black Hawk Mine and Gem Mine.