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1936 Map of Elizabeth

Name: 1936 Topographic Map of Elizabeth
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1957
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1957

About this map

Jo Daviess County, in the driftless area of northwest Illinois, is defined by its distinctive landscape of high mounds and deep ridges. At the northern edge, Charles Mound stands near the Illinois-Wisconsin Boundary Line, overlooking a network of rural schools and family-named landmarks like Wenzel Mound and Benton Mound. The settlement of Elizabeth serves as a central hub, surrounded by mining operations such as the Illinois Mine and Skene Mine that speak to the region's lead and zinc extraction history.

Industrial corridors are established by the Chicago Great Western RR and the Illinois Central RR, which connect agricultural towns like Stockton and Scales Mound to broader markets. The rugged topography is preserved at Apple River Canyon State Park, where the Apple River carves through the terrain. Numerous one-room schoolhouses, including Equal Rights School and Mt Sumner School, are scattered across townships, reflecting the dense rural population of the mid-1930s.