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1939 Map of Freeport

Name: 1939 Topographic Map of Freeport
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1939
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1939

About this map

Freeport serves as the industrial and transit hub of Stephenson County in this pre-war survey, where the Pecatonica River meets a dense network of rail lines. The landscape is defined by the intersections of the Illinois Central, the Chicago Milwaukee St Paul and Pacific, and the Chicago and North Western railroads. Outside the city, the terrain is partitioned into townships like Harlem and Dakota, characterized by a remarkable density of rural schoolhouses such as Silver Spring Sch and Eldorado Sch.

Genealogists will find significant value in the numerous family and community landmarks, from St Marys Cem to the Mennonite Ch. Small settlements and railroad junctions like Scioto Mills, Red Oak, and West Junction dot the countryside, while local curiosities like the marshy Ducks Misery and the industrial Wallace Yards provide specific geographic context for the era's rural and rail-based economy.