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1912 Map of Milan

Name: 1912 Topographic Map of Milan
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1945
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1945

About this map

The Mississippi River and Rock River converge at the heart of this industrial and agricultural corridor, anchoring the growing hubs of Rock Island and Moline. While the northern reaches show dense urban development and complex rail networks like the Chicago Rock Island and Pacific RR, the southern half transitions into a landscape of rural schoolhouses and coal-mining operations. The presence of the Coal Valley Mine and the Sherrard and Cable Line highlights the era’s reliance on local mineral extraction to fuel regional industry.

Local life is recorded through a dense network of numbered and named school districts, including Maple Grove School and Blackoak School, alongside religious centers such as St Johns Church. Small settlements like Matherville, Boden, and Reynolds serve as rural nodes connected by the Rock Island and Southern RR, providing a detailed look at the township structures of Edgington and Preemption during this mid-century period.