2024 Map of Gorham

About this map

The Big Muddy River dominates the central and eastern portions of this Jackson County landscape, carving a series of dramatic loops including Horseshoe Bend, Rawlins Bend, and Cripps Bend. To the west, the village of Gorham sits at a critical junction of rail and road, bordered by the rising terrain of Fountain Bluff and Walker Hill. The lowlands are defined by the extensive Shawnee National Forest and the Oakwood Bottoms, where a network of drainage features like Hay Glade Ditch and Worthen Bayou manage the wet terrain. Local history is anchored by family-named landmarks such as Goodbread Cem, Henson Cem, and Hudson Cem, alongside established points like Sand Ridge and Howardton. The map reveals a land shaped by the constant movement of water against the stable bluffs of the Illinois river country.