1993 Map of McClure

About this map

McClure and East Cape Girardeau sit within a complex landscape of drainage ditches and river chutes along the east bank of the Mississippi River. This reach of the river is defined by large landforms like Devils Island and Picayune Island, separated from the Illinois mainland by the Picayune Chute. The area’s hydrological management is evident in the network of the Main Ditch and Clear Creek Ditch, which redirect water through the low-lying floodplain south of Reynoldsville. In the southeast, the terrain rises sharply into the wooded ridges of the Shawnee National Forest, where deep cuts like Dongola Hollow and Happy Hollow drain toward the bottomlands. The Illinois Central Railroad provides a primary transportation corridor, running parallel to the river and connecting the small riverside communities of Gale and East Cape Girardeau.