1954 Map of French Village

About this map

Industrial expansion and suburban growth define the landscape of St. Clair County as it appeared in the mid-20th century. The complex rail infrastructure serves as the region's backbone, with the Alton and Southern Railroad and Louisville and Nashville Railroad cutting through the expanding residential corridors of French Village and Edgemont. Purple revisions from 1968 illustrate the rapid post-war urbanization extending from East St Louis toward the bluffs. Recreational and educational landmarks are prominent, including the sprawling Frank Holten State Park and Cahokia Downs racetrack. Local history is preserved in the detailed mapping of neighborhood institutions like Wrights Chapel, St Philip Sch, and the St Clair Memorial Park Cemetery. From the dense blocks of Centreville to the rural Flying Dutchmen Landing Strip near Prairie Creek, the map documents a transition from a rail-dependent industrial hub to a modern metropolitan suburb.