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1954 Map of Grafton

Name: 1954 Topographic Map of Grafton
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1969
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1969

About this map

Grafton and the high bluffs of Pere Marquette State Park dominate the northern landscape, where a series of hollows like Distillery Hollow and Jerseyville Hollow cut through the rugged Illinois terrain. The confluence of the Illinois River and Mississippi River creates a complex network of islands and chutes, including Mason Island and Calhoun Point. South of the rivers, the land flattens into the Portage Des Sioux floodplain in Missouri.

This area is marked by scattered rural infrastructure, from Smartt Airfield to the Marais Temps Clair marsh. Local history is preserved in the locations of the Lake View Sch, Phelps Sch, and Barwels Cem. The map illustrates the mid-century transportation and settlement patterns near Orchard Farm and Wilkie, showing the proximity of small riverside communities like Chautauqua to the major river systems.