1971 Map of Golden Gate

About this map

The Little Wabash River defines the landscape of southeastern Illinois in the early 1970s, carving a winding path through the Leech and Golden Gate Oil Field. This survey captures the rural economy of the era, where active oil wells and the Southern Railway intersect with a deep family history etched into the land. Numerous family-named cemeteries such as Wilson Cem, Gash Cem, and Winland Cem dot the uplands, while structures like the Old Iron Bridge and Hodgson Bridge mark critical crossing points over the river's oxbows and sloughs.