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1983 Map of Gays Mills

Name: 1983 Topographic Map of Gays Mills
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1983
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1983

About this map

The Kickapoo River carves a serpentine path through this Driftless Area landscape, anchoring the valley settlements of Gays Mills, Bell Center, and Petersburg. By the early 1980s, the local transportation network reflected a mix of modernization and memory, where an Old Railroad Grade runs parallel to the river, tracing the path of former rail commerce. The terrain is defined by a dense system of ridges and coulees, including Vinegar Ridge and Larsen Ridge, which forced roads like Johnstown Road and Deathpoint Road to follow narrow crests or valley floors.

Local genealogy is well-preserved through several rural burial sites, such as Yankeetown Cem and Whiteaker Cem. Cultural and recreational landmarks are prominent, from the Fairground and Wayside Park in Gays Mills to the protected lands of the Kickapoo River State Wildlife Area. This survey documents a rural Wisconsin community where steep topography has long dictated the patterns of agriculture and settlement.