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1918 Map of La Harpe

Name: 1918 Topographic Map of La Harpe
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1948
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1948

About this map

The agricultural landscape of Western Illinois at the close of the First World War is defined by a dense network of one-room schoolhouses and small prairie settlements. Towns like La Harpe and Blandinsville serve as regional hubs, their positions solidified by the Toledo Peoria and Western RR. The map records an extraordinary density of rural educational buildings, including the Maple Grove School, Jackson Corner School, and South Prairie School, which anchored the many townships before the era of school consolidation.

Waterways like the La Moine River and its South Branch cut through the terrain, flanked by notable landmarks such as Oak Hill. The presence of smaller tracks like the At&SF RR near Stronghurst illustrates the critical role of rail transport in moving grain and livestock from places like Raritan and Sciota to distant markets. This survey preserves the early 20th-century township structure, from Terre Haute to Fountain Green, before modern infrastructure reshaped the rural sections.