1974 Map of Gillespie South

About this map

Staunton and Gillespie anchor this mid-1970s landscape, reflecting a cluster of Macoupin County towns connected by the Chicago and North Western and Norfolk and Western railroads. The map reveals a transition from industrial-adjacent settlements like Benld and Eagarville to the rural expanses of Gillespie and Dorchester townships. Local history is deeply etched into the terrain through smaller family-named markers and cemeteries such as Tine Sawyer Cem and Kunderburk Cem. Significant water features like the Staunton Reservoir and the winding Cahokia Creek define the eastern and central topography. The inclusion of the Willhoit Landing Strip and various old railroad grades indicates a changing transportation network, where former rail corridors were beginning to give way to smaller private airstrips and modernized infrastructure during this era.