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1892 Map of Marseilles

Name: 1892 Topographic Map of Marseilles
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 serves as a bustling corridor of 19th-century commerce in this topographic study, where the Illinois and Michigan Canal runs parallel to the Chicago Rock Island and Pacific Railroad. The industrial and transport hub at Marseilles dominates the riverbank, while further east, Seneca marks a strategic junction where the Seneca and Kankakee Railroad crosses the water.

Away from the river’s edge, the landscape transitions into the agricultural uplands of Mission Ridge and small settlements like Norway, Stavanger, and Serena. The northern portion of the sheet highlights the winding path of the Fox River, supported by the Chicago Burlington and Quincy Railroad. Notable local hydrology such as Black Ash Swamp and numerous named runs like Rat Run and Bills Run provide specific detail for researchers tracing early land use and drainage patterns in LaSalle County.