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1916 Map of Equality

Name: 1916 Topographic Map of Equality
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1941
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1941

About this map

Equality serves as the primary rail hub on this 1941 reprint of an earlier 1916 survey, where the Louisville and Nashville line tracks along the Saline River in Gallatin County. The southern landscape is defined by the heavy ridges of the Wildcat Hills and the complex terrain of the Mountain district. This area reveals an economy transitioning from early industry to rural agriculture, documented by the presence of the Illinois Furnace and resource extraction at the Lee Mines and Empire Mine.

The map is an exceptional resource for genealogy and local history, capturing dozens of vanished one-room schoolhouses such as Clover Glen School and Philadelphia School. Navigation across the rivers and creeks is shown through landmarks like the Island Ripple Bridge and Grocery Ford. Dispersed country stores, including Hubbards Store and Jacksons Store, pinpoint the centers of these small southern Illinois communities before the consolidation of the mid-20th century.