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1937 Map of Collinsville

Name: 1937 Topographic Map of Collinsville
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1937
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1937

About this map

Collinsville sits at the heart of this 1930s industrial and agricultural landscape, where the dense grid of the city meets the irregular topography of the Illinois bluffs. The map captures a sophisticated transportation network during a decade of transition, featuring the extensive tracks of the Illinois Terminal and the Pennsylvania railroad lines which facilitated the region's coal and manufacturing output. Outside the main city center, a constellation of rural schools such as Wilson Heights Sch, Clay Sch, and Liberty Sch suggests a well-distributed population of farming and mining families.

Small, specialized settlements like Chinatown and Donkville are clearly delineated alongside larger towns like Maryville and Troy. The landscape is deeply carved by watercourses including Schoolhouse Branch and Canteen Creek, while the Belt Highway indicates the early development of modern regional transit corridors. The interplay between industrial rail spurs and family-named landmarks like Browns Mound provides a window into the Madison County economy before post-war suburbanization significantly altered the valley floor.