1970 Map of Mackinaw

About this map

The Mackinaw River carves a winding path through the heart of the Mackinaw township, creating a landscape defined by sharp bluffs and rich bottomlands. In the early 1970s, the village of Mackinaw stands as a primary hub, intersected by the Penn Central and Illinois Central railroads. The map reveals the area's rural social fabric through its numerous family and community landmarks, such as the Oak Knoll Sanatorium and several historic burial grounds including Hardscrabble Cem and Bacon Cem. North of the river, the township of Deer Creek is characterized by its agricultural grid and smaller watercourses like Mud Creek. To the east, the landscape transitions toward the Tazewell and McLean county line, where the development of Spin Lake and Posey Ridge Lakes indicates the era's shift toward recreational land use amidst the traditional farming and gravel mining operations.