Loading map...

1979 Map of Fonda

Name: 1979 Topographic Map of Fonda
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1986
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1986

About this map

Fonda serves as the primary hub of this 1970s topographic study, situated at the junction of the Illinois Central Gulf and the Chicago Milwaukee St Paul and Pacific railroads. This intersection underscores the town's historic role as a regional transport center for the surrounding agricultural landscape of Pocahontas and Calhoun Counties. The map reveals a transition in land use from the organized grid of the town center to the managed conservation lands of the Towhead Lake State Game Management Area to the south.

Local landmarks such as Zion Ch, St Pauls Ch, and Zion Cem provide important reference points for genealogists tracing family roots in Cedar and Butler townships. The drainage of the prairie is evident through the winding paths of Little Cedar Creek and Cedar Creek, supplemented by an engineered network including Ditch No 29. Smaller settlements and sidings like Knoke and Murphy further illustrate the rural settlement pattern of the late 20th century.