1902 Map of Elkader

About this map

Elkader and the deep valleys of the Mississippi River and Turkey River define this corner of northeast Iowa and western Wisconsin. Surveyed at the turn of the twentieth century, the landscape reflects a mature agricultural and river-based economy. The prominent bluffs along the Mississippi harbor towns like Guttenberg and Garnavillo, while the interior is a network of small farming hamlets such as Bismarck, National, and Communia. Transport is anchored by the Chicago Milwaukee and St. Paul RR and the Chicago Burlington and Northern RR, which trace the riverbanks and ridges to connect these isolated communities. The map captures the area before modern infrastructure altered the flow of the Volga River, showing the original positions of crossings like Osterdock and the mills at Motor.