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1893 Map of Lacon

Name: 1893 Topographic Map of Lacon
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1910
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1910

About this map

The Illinois River valley dominates this late 19th-century landscape, acting as a corridor for trade and travel through the heart of Marshall County. Large river-bottom lakes, including Senachwine Lake, Saw Mill Lake, and Wightman Lake, occupy the wide floodplain between high bluffs. The river itself shows critical navigational infrastructure with a recorded Lock at the town of Henry.

Settlement is concentrated at the river crossings and rail junctions. Lacon and Sparland face each other across the water, connected by the Chicago and Alton Railroad extending east. Further north, the Chicago and Pacific Railway cuts through the bluffs near Putnam. Away from the water, the upland prairies are divided into townships like Whitefield and Richland, featuring smaller agrarian outposts such as Florid and Cottage Hill. This survey captures the transition from a river-dependent economy to one increasingly shaped by heavy rail infrastructure.