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1974 Map of Fairview

Name: 1974 Topographic Map of Fairview
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1978
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1978

About this map

The Chicago and North Western railroad corridor defines the northern landscape of this central Illinois territory, connecting the small settlements of Rapatee and Swegle across the Knox and Fulton County line. In the mid-1970s, the terrain south of the tracks reveals a heavy industrial influence, dominated by extensive strip mined areas that have reshaped the topography around the South Fork of Coal Creek.

For genealogists and local historians, the sheet is dense with localized landmarks including the Coal Creek Ch and a collection of family-named burial sites such as Markley Cem, Beer Cem, and Foster Cem. The village of Fairview sits at a major crossroads in the south, while the Spoon River Valley High Sch serves the rural population between the river bluffs and the modified mining lands. The contrast between the natural flow of the Spoon River in the northwest and the engineered industrial pits to the south illustrates the area's dual character of agriculture and extraction.