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1893 Map of Metamora

Name: 1893 Topographic Map of Metamora
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1893
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1893

About this map

The Illinois River serves as the dominant geographic spine in this 1891 survey, flanked by a network of steep bluffs and drainage runs. To the west, the riverfront settlements of Chillicothe and Rome are established along the Chicago Rock Island and Pacific Railroad, while the inland plateau to the east is anchored by Metamora. This landscape transition from the river bottom to the high prairie is marked by intricate erosion patterns from waterways like Crow Creek, Richland Creek, and Black Partridge Creek.

Railroad expansion in the late nineteenth century is clearly evident, with the Atchison Topeka and Santa Fe Railroad cutting through the northern bluffs near Wilburn. Smaller upland communities such as Low Point, Cazenovia, and the rural enclave of Lourds illustrate the dense settlement pattern of Woodford County before the consolidation of rural infrastructure. The mapping captures the intersection of early industrial transport and agrarian land use just prior to the turn of the century.