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1932 Map of Manito

Name: 1932 Topographic Map of Manito
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1932
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1932

About this map

The Illinois River valley dominates this 1932 study, revealing a complex network of wetlands and early water management efforts in Mason and Tazewell counties. Broad backwaters like Rice Lake, Miserable Lake, and Goose Lake flank the river, punctuated by the narrow Hoxie Ridge and the Duck Island Hunting Club. The map documents a transition from natural sloughs, such as Buckbrush Slough, to an extensive system of man-made drainage, including the Quiver Ditch and Main Ditch. This infrastructure was vital for the agricultural development of the surrounding prairie.

Concentrated rail activity centers on settlements like Manito, Forest City, and Topeka, served by the Chicago and Illinois Midland and the Pennsylvania railroads. Rural life is meticulously recorded through dozens of named one-room schoolhouses, from Eureka Sch in the north to the Pennsylvania Lane Sch in the south. Notable landmarks like the Copperas Creek Dam and Spring Lake Ch provide essential touchpoints for genealogists tracing early twentieth-century family locations.