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1954 Map of Monks Mound

Name: 1954 Topographic Map of Monks Mound
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1969
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1969

About this map

Ancient earthen architecture meets industrial expansion at Cahokia Mounds State Park, where the towering Monks Mound and nearby Rattlesnake Mound stand in contrast to the dense network of rail lines and factories of the mid-20th century. The landscape is defined by the massive oxbow of Horseshoe Lake and its surrounding wetlands, including Walkers Island and Edelhardt Lake.

This survey captures the growth of the American Bottoms prior to the full interstate era, showing the urban expansion of Granite City, Collinsville, and East St Louis. A complex infrastructure of drainage canals and levees, such as the Cahokia Creek diversion, illustrates the massive engineering efforts required to reclaim this floodplain for industrial centers and residential pockets like State Park Place and Fairmont City. The prominence of the Fairmount Jockey Club and numerous local institutions like St Martin Sch reflect the established social fabric of these communities during a period of peak regional activity.