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1945 Map of Forreston

Name: 1945 Topographic Map of Forreston
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1945
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1945

About this map

Forreston serves as the central hub of this northern Illinois agricultural landscape, where the Chicago Milwaukee St Paul and Pacific and Chicago Great Western railroads intersect. The map reveals an exceptionally dense network of rural infrastructure, particularly one-room schoolhouses like Cyclone Heights Sch and Summer Hill Sch, illustrating the dispersed population of Ogle and Stephenson counties before the mid-century consolidation of school districts.

Waterways such as Lost Creek and Elkhorn Creek meander through the prairie, supporting settlements like Shannon and Baileyville. For genealogists, the map preserves specific cultural landmarks, including the Prairie Dell Ch and West Grove Ch, alongside the Crane Grove Mon. The intricate detail of section lines and secondary roads provides a clear view of the land ownership patterns and community centers of this productive farming region during the mid-1940s.