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1951 Map of McLean

Name: 1951 Topographic Map of McLean
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1951
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1951

About this map

The agricultural heart of Illinois in the early 1950s is defined by a dense network of country schools and rural churches centered around Bloomington. This area shows the transition from local steam-and-rail dominance to modern infrastructure, where the Gulf Mobile and Ohio and Pennsylvania railroads intersect with the Illinois Terminal electric line. These rail corridors supported small grain-handling points and livestock hubs like Stanford, Shirley, and McLean.

A notable landscape feature is the extensive Funks Grove timber preserve, home to the Funks Grove Ch and Funk Sch. The map preserves the locations of numerous vanished rural institutions, including Mount Pleasant Ch and Ebenezer Ch, alongside family-named landmarks like Campbells Hump and Short Point. Genealogists will find particular value in the precisely marked cemeteries, such as West Twin Grove Cem and Grassy Ridge Cem, which anchor the early prairie settlements.