1943 Map of Greenville

About this map

Greenville serves as the focal point of this Bond County landscape, where the confluence of the Pennsylvania and Chicago Burlington and Quincy railroads once defined the local economy. Beyond the main settlement, a dense network of early 20th-century rural infrastructure is visible, including the CCC Camp and numerous district schools like Persimmon Grove Sch and Shady Grove Sch. The geography is deeply tied to the drainage of Shoal Creek and Beaver Creek, which influenced the placement of early post offices and hamlets. Genealogists will find a wealth of family-named landmarks and cemeteries, such as Jett Cem and Hastings Cem, alongside established rural congregations at Union Grove Ch and Mt Carmel Ch. The presence of the Wisetown Beaver Creek P O and smaller rail sidings at Ayers and Smithboro illustrates the transition from isolated frontier farmsteads to a connected agrarian region.