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1916 Map of Marseilles

Name: 1916 Topographic Map of Marseilles
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1943
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1943

About this map

Marseilles serves as the industrial and transportation anchor of this landscape, situated where the Illinois River meets a complex network of rail and canal infrastructure. The presence of the Michigan Canal running parallel to the river, alongside the Chicago Rock Island and Pacific RR, highlights the critical role of mid-twentieth-century freight corridors. Significant early 20th-century history is preserved here, including the Chicago Ottawa and Peoria Electric RR, which is already noted as abandoned by this printing.

Rural life in LaSalle and Grundy Counties is meticulously detailed through a dense distribution of one-room schools such as Arneson School, Higgins School, and Peddicord School. Small settlements like Norway and Stavanger reflect the Scandinavian heritage of the region. Natural features like McNellis Bayou and Brookfield Spring punctuate the agricultural sections of Fall River and Nettle Creek townships, providing a clear record of the local topography before modern suburban expansion.