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1909 Map of Knoxville

Name: 1909 Topographic Map of Knoxville
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1958
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1958

About this map

Knoxville serves as the focal point of this central Iowa landscape, positioned at a critical junction of the Chicago Rock Island and Pacific RR and the Chicago Burlington and Quincy RR. The 1909 survey records a transition period in Marion County, where the Des Moines River winds through the northern townships, passing settlements like Red Rock and Cordova. The map reveals an exceptionally dense network of rural infrastructure, particularly the dozens of neighborhood schools such as Stringtown School, Rising Star School, and Victory School that once anchored these farming townships.

Industrial activity is evident along the rail lines, particularly at Flagler and Donnelley, while the rugged southern terrain is defined by the drainages of Whitebreast Creek and English Creek. Local genealogy is well-served by the inclusion of landmarks like Mt Vernon Church and Liberty Church, which provide geographic context for early twentieth-century community life before later landscape changes significantly altered the river valley.