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1918 Map of Dixon

Name: 1918 Topographic Map of Dixon
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1918
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1918

About this map

The Rock River meanders through Lee and Ogle Counties in this 1916 survey, defining the character of the northern Illinois landscape. At the center of the sheet, the river performs a massive horseshoe bend at Grand Detour, a village that remains a landmark of pioneer-era settlement. To the southwest, the city of Dixon serves as a major transportation hub, where the Illinois Central and Chicago and Northwestern railroads intersect.

This era in Lee County is characterized by a dense network of one-room schoolhouses and family-named landmarks. Educational sites like White Temple School, Loughridge School, and Harmony Hill School are scattered across the townships, reflecting the rural social structure of the early 20th century. The map also identifies the County Farm south of Dixon and recreational areas like Lowell Park, providing a window into the public institutions and early conservation efforts in the Rock River Valley before modern industrial expansion altered the prairie vistas.