1918 Map of Morris

About this map

Morris sits at the heart of a bustling industrial and agricultural landscape where the Michigan and Illinois Canal parallels the Illinois River. In this 1915 survey, the river valley is a complex network of waterways and sloughs, including Peacock Slough and Nigger Slough, which divide the terrain before the Kankakee River joins from the southeast. To the south, the coal mining influence is evident in the dense settlement of Coal City, Carbon Hill, and Eileen, served by a concentrated web of rail lines like the Chicago and Alton RR. Rural life is marked by an exceptional density of named country schools, from the Jugtown School near Goose Lake to the Red Brick School on the river bluffs. The presence of the County Farm and multiple river crossings like the Pine Bluff Bridge reflect a well-established early 20th-century county infrastructure.