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1960 Map of Fairbury

Name: 1960 Topographic Map of Fairbury
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1962
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1962

About this map

The Little Blue River cuts a wide valley through the Jefferson County landscape, serving as the central corridor for both rail and road transit at the start of the 1960s. The city of Fairbury serves as a dense hub of civic and educational life, anchored by a cluster of landmark buildings including the Courthouse, City Hall, and the Post Office. The city’s institutional footprint is particularly visible through its concentrated school system, ranging from the Jr College and High School to local neighborhood sites like West Ward School.

Evidence of a dispersed rural community survives in the numerous country schools and cemeteries that dot the surrounding townships, such as Maple Grove School and Richland Center Cemetery. Industrial activity is concentrated near the river and rail lines, marked by several Quarries and a Gravel Pit. The transportation network is defined by the intersection of the Union Pacific and the Chicago Rock Island and Pacific railroads, which bypass the rugged bluffs to follow the water level near Hedrix.