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1953 Map of Joy

Name: 1953 Topographic Map of Joy
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1958
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1958

About this map

The Mississippi River floodplain and the winding Edwards River dominate this western Illinois landscape, where the Upper Mississippi River Wildlife and Fish Refuge covers the bottomlands and Corsépius Island. The map illustrates a mid-century rural economy tied to the rails, with the Chicago Burlington and Quincy line connecting the settlements of New Boston and Joy.

Genealogists and local historians can find valuable landmarks including Shields Cemetery, Mannon Cemetery, and several one-room schoolhouses like Lone Star School and Hazel Dell School. Evidence of changing transportation is visible in the north-south dismantled railroad corridor passing through Arpee, while the established village of Mannon sits at a crossroads near the confluence of Winters Creek and the main river system. The presence of Lloyd Hall near the community of Duncan adds further specific local detail to this record of Mercer County.