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1970 Map of Marseilles

Name: 1970 Topographic Map of Marseilles
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1972
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1972

About this map

Marseilles serves as the industrial and transport hub of this Illinois River valley map, situated at the confluence of heavy rail, river navigation, and early canal infrastructure. The Illinois and Michigan Canal remains a prominent linear landmark, running parallel to the Chicago Rock Island and Pacific railroad and the Illinois River. This corridor supported a diverse economic base, evidenced by the chemical plant and various waste disposal areas near Johnson Island.

Beyond the industrial riverfront, the map details a landscape of smaller townships like Fall River and Brookfield, where numerous family and community burial grounds such as Old Brumbach Cem and Shaver Cem are preserved. The terrain transitions from the flat alluvial lands of Bells Island to the dissected bluffs carved by Covel Creek and South Kickapoo Creek, illustrating the complex drainage patterns that defined local agriculture and settlement.