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1938 Map of Hardin

Name: 1938 Topographic Map of Hardin
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1938
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1938

About this map

Hardin stands as the central hub of this riverine landscape, where the Illinois River and Mississippi River converge toward their junction. Surveyed in the late 1920s and mid-1930s, the map reveals a complex network of chutes, islands, and backwater lakes that defined life in Calhoun County before modern levee systems fully transformed the bottoms. The interior ridges are dotted with country institutions like the Poor Farm and Gilead Cemetery, while the riverbanks are marked by historic points of transit such as Sterling Landing and Wilson Landing.

Transportation patterns of the era are clearly visible, from the Chicago Burlington & Quincy RR skirting the western bluffs to the numerous landings serving small settlements like Hamburg and Batchtown. The topography is defined by deep drainage's such as Irish Hollow and Lost Hollow, which cut through the high ground between the two great rivers. Educational and spiritual centers, including Oasis Church and Meadow Branch School, provide essential anchors for family history researchers tracing rural Missouri and Illinois lineages.