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1944 Map of Elmwood

Name: 1944 Topographic Map of Elmwood
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1967
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1967

About this map

Jubilee College State Park and the surrounding agricultural townships of Peoria and Stark counties are depicted here just as the mid-century era began. This landscape is defined by its deep commitment to rural education and religious life, evidenced by the high density of one-room schoolhouses like Stringtown Sch, Moody Sch, and Whitten Sch, alongside significant local burial grounds such as Calvary Cem and Oak Hill Cem.

Rail transport was the lifeblood of these prairie towns in the 1940s, with three major lines—the Chicago and North Western, Atchison Topeka and Santa Fe, and Chicago Burlington and Quincy—intersecting at vital hubs like Princeville, Monica, and Elmwood. These rails follow the natural contours of the land, crossing the Spoon River and Kickapoo Creek, connecting the scattered settlements of Laura, Brimfield, and Oak Hill to the wider regional economy.