1950 Map of Maiden Rock

About this map

Lake Pepin dominates this mid-century topographic view, where the Mississippi River widens between the high bluffs of Pierce County, Wisconsin, and Goodhue County, Minnesota. The landscape is a dense network of upland farms and rural institutions, evidenced by the high concentration of named country schools like Sleepy Hollow School, Hill and Dale School, and Maple Grove School. The river economy is visible through the dual paths of the Chicago Burlington and Quincy and Chicago Milwaukee St Paul and Pacific railroads that flank the water. In Minnesota, the established community of Old Frontenac and the Villa Maria Academy sit near the riverbanks, while the Wisconsin side features the county seat at Ellsworth. This survey documents a critical period before post-war consolidation began to change the character of these riverside settlements and their many small school districts.