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1981 Map of Ellston

Name: 1981 Topographic Map of Ellston
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1981
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1981

About this map

Sun Valley Lake serves as a central feature in this southern Iowa landscape, surrounded by the townships of Union, Richland, and Monroe. The terrain is defined by a network of waterways, including Lotts Creek and the Grand River, which wind through the rural countryside. The infrastructure of the early 1980s is clearly visible, with an Old Railroad Grade cutting across the central portion of the sheet between Ellston and Beaconsfield.

Genealogists will find significant value in the documentation of several burial grounds, such as Pumptown Cem, Ellston Cem, and Oliver Cem. Conservation and recreation areas are well-established, represented by the Sand Creek State Wildlife Area and a local Golf Course near the lake. The map effectively documents the transition from active rail transit to a landscape of reservoir-based recreation and established agrarian boundaries.