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1948 Map of Mill Creek

Name: 1948 Topographic Map of Mill Creek
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1948
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1948

About this map

The rugged boundary between Union and Alexander Counties is defined by a dense network of hollows and ridges within the Shawnee National Forest. In the late 1940s, this landscape was a mosaic of rural school districts and small family cemeteries, including McDaniel Sch, Gauble Sch, and the McClure Cem. The industrial and social life of the region follows the Gulf Mobile and Ohio railroad corridor, which connects the villages of Mill Creek, Elco, and Tamms.

Deep in the interior, landmarks such as the Bass Hill Lookout Tower on Dago Hill provided a vantage point over the timbered terrain, while places like Hogskin Bottoms and You-Be Hollow reflect the colorful local vernacular of the Southern Illinois hills. The presence of numerous rural churches like Pleasant Valley Ch suggests a community structure still deeply rooted in these isolated valleys before mid-century modernization fully altered the settlement pattern.