Loading map...

1959 Map of Mason City

Name: 1959 Topographic Map of Mason City
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1961
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1961

About this map

Mason City serves as the industrial and transportation hub of North Central Iowa in this late 1950s survey, defined by its complex network of five major railroads including the Chicago Great Western and the Minneapolis and St Louis. The city’s core is surrounded by essential local landmarks like Elmwood Cem, Parkers Woods, and several brick-and-tile industry Claypits that highlight the area's geological economy.

Beyond the urban center, the landscape transitions into a mosaic of small farming communities and educational outposts such as Plymouth, Rock Falls, and School No 8. Waterways like the Winnebago River and Shell Rock River carve through the terrain, with distinctive features like the Bad Lands and Big Gully providing notable contrast to the surrounding productive fields. Researchers can trace rural lineages through sites like Spring Grove Cem or follow the path of early aviation at Spotts Landing Field.