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1911 Map of Galena

Name: 1911 Topographic Map of Galena
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1953
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1953

About this map

The lead-mining legacy of Jo Daviess County is strikingly visible in this early twentieth-century survey, which details the heavy concentration of shafts and schools throughout the driftless area. Galena serves as the focal point, connected to the industrial landscape by the Illinois Central and Chicago Great Western railroads. To the north and south, the terrain is dotted with significant operations including the Northwestern Mine and the Royal Princess Mine, while numerous rural schoolhouses like Vinegar Hill School and Rock College School reveal the density of the mining and farming population at the time.

Along the Mississippi River, the landscape transitions to a complex network of sloughs and islands. Hale Island and Scott Island sit between the main channel and the bluffs where Gears Ferry and Bellevue Ferry provided vital transit points. The topography is defined by prominent rises like Horseshoe Mound and Pilot Knob, while the Apple River and Smallpox Creek drain the surrounding heights toward the river valley.