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1966 Map of Crab Orchard Lake

Name: 1966 Topographic Map of Crab Orchard Lake
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1990
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1990

About this map

The Crab Orchard National Wildlife Refuge dominates this landscape, preserved around the extensive waters of Crab Orchard Lake and its smaller neighbors, Devils Kitchen Lake and Little Grassy Creek. In the mid-1960s, this area of Williamson County balanced conservation with institutional growth and aviation, evidenced by the presence of the Southern Illinois University School of Technology and the Williamson County Airport.

Genealogists will find numerous family and community landmarks, including McAlpin Cem, Pigeon Creek Cem, and Cottage Home Ch. The map also captures remnants of earlier infrastructure like the Old RR Grade and several abandoned Railroad Grade sections near Marion. The terrain is defined by a dense network of tributaries such as Sugar Creek and Wolf Creek, which feed into the primary reservoirs, maintaining the refuge's diverse ecosystems.