1985 Map of Fairbury

About this map

The Vermilion River and its numerous tributaries, including Rooks Creek and Wolf Creek, define the drainage and early settlement patterns of this central Illinois landscape. As of the mid-1980s, the region was a critical intersection of major rail lines, including the Illinois Central Gulf and the Atchison Topeka and Santa Fe, which linked farming hubs like Fairbury and Chatsworth to wider markets. The sprawling State Correctional Center near Pontiac stands as a significant landmark, while the southern reaches of the map show the headwaters of the Mackinaw River and the artificial waters of Lake Bloomington. A lone elevation at Blue Mound rises above the glacial plains, providing a rare break in the level terrain that supported the intensive agricultural development visible in the grid of rural roads and scattered grain-handling settlements like Saunemin and Forrest.