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1954 Map of French Village

Name: 1954 Topographic Map of French Village
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1982
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1982

About this map

Frank Holten State Park and the sprawling rail yards of East St. Louis dominate this industrial and residential landscape of St. Clair County. The map captures a moment of intense suburban expansion and heavy transit, where the Alton and Southern and Conrail lines weave through established neighborhoods and newer developments like Fairview Heights. The geography is defined by a sharp transition from the flatlands of the American Bottoms to the rising bluffs at Signal Hill.

Genealogists and local historians can trace the social fabric of the era through numerous institutions, from the St. Henry Seminary to community landmarks like Cahokia Downs and the Flying Dutchmen Landing Strip. The presence of several schools, such as Assumption Sch and St. Philip Sch, alongside older cemeteries like St. Johns Cem, provides a detailed record of the mid-century communities of Centreville, Swansea, and Edgemont as they transitioned into the modern era.