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1912 Map of Knoxville

Name: 1912 Topographic Map of Knoxville
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1912
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1912

About this map

The Des Moines River carves a winding path through this 1912 landscape, serving as the primary geographical anchor for the surrounding townships of Marion County. The city of Knoxville appears as a dense grid of blocks, functioning as a vital transportation hub where the Chicago Rock Island and Pacific RR and the Chicago Burlington and Quincy RR intersect. This rail-and-river economy supported a network of small agricultural and mining settlements such as Red Rock, Percy, and Flagler.

The survey highlights an exceptional density of rural civic life, documenting dozens of one-room schoolhouses like Stringtown School and Coal Ridge School that served the dispersed farming community. The terrain is deeply dissected by numerous tributaries, including Whitebreast Creek and English Creek, creating a complex topography of ridges and valleys that shaped the early road networks and the placement of country landmarks like Mt Vernon Church.