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1935 Map of Monks Mound

Name: 1935 Topographic Map of Monks Mound
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1935
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1935

About this map

The ancient landscape of Cahokia Mounds State Park dominates this mid-1930s survey, highlighting the massive Monks Mound and nearby Rattlesnake Mound amidst the burgeoning industrial footprint of the American Bottom. The map illustrates a complex intersection of prehistoric earthworks and early 20th-century progress, where the oxbow of Horseshoe Lake sits surrounded by a dense network of transit, including the Illinois Terminal Electric Railroad and U S Highway No 40.

Industrial and social centers like Fairmont City, Washington Park, and Nameoki are visible alongside the recreational hubs of the era, such as the Fairmont Jockey Club and Madison Kennel Club. The drainage of the bottomlands is meticulously detailed through the Cahokia Canal and Harding Ditch, reflecting the massive engineering efforts required to manage the Mississippi River's floodplain for modern settlement and agriculture.