Loading map...

1986 Map of Effingham

Name: 1986 Topographic Map of Effingham
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1988
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1988

About this map

Lake Shelbyville dominates the northwestern portion of this mid-1980s landscape, where the Kaskaskia River was transformed into a major recreational and water management reservoir. The map reveals the intricate transport network of central Illinois during a period of industrial transition, anchored by the crossroads of Interstate 57 and Interstate 70 at Effingham. This intersection serves as a modern hub for older rail lines like the Illinois Central Gulf Railroad and the Norfolk and Western Railway.

Beyond the urban centers of Mattoon and Charleston, the map details a dense rural grid of townships like Moccasin and Bishop. Natural preserves such as Wolf Creek State Park and Hidden Springs State Forest provide a counterpoint to the agricultural and transit-heavy lowlands. For researchers, the survey captures the layout of small communities like Teutopolis, Neoga, and Strasburg alongside the evolving drainage patterns of the Embarras River and Little Wabash River basins.