1929 Map of Ferryville

About this map

Ferryville and the riverfront settlements of the upper Mississippi River valley are captured here just before the era of major lock and dam construction. The landscape is defined by the complex network of backwaters like Winneshiek Slough and Henderson Slough, where the Chicago Burlington and Quincy railroad hugs the narrow terrace between the water and the bluffs. Inland, the map reveals a densely settled rural landscape of the 1920s, organized along high ridges such as Bishop Ridge and Rush Ridge. The abundance of local institutions, including the Parochial School, Freeman Church, and specialized facilities like the Upper Rush Creek School, points to a time when steep valleys like Cooley Valley necessitated numerous small, community-focused centers. This topography of deep hollows, such as Polander Hollow and Bohland Hollow, illustrates the driftless area's unique challenge to early road and rail transit.