1912 Map of New Athens

About this map

New Athens sits at the heart of this survey, established as a prominent river crossing and rail junction where the Kaskaskia River meets the Illinois Central RR. The landscape is a detailed grid of small agricultural communities and rural schoolhouses, illustrating the late-Edwardian development of St. Clair and Monroe counties. Numerous family-named schools like Engelmann School and Hertel School pepper the countryside, while the southern reach of the map shows the transition into coal-influenced areas near Marissa and Lenzburg. The presence of several sloughs and lakes, including Bottom Lake and Brush Lake, alongside the winding river path, highlights the influence of the drainage basin on early settlement patterns. Cultural details like Greenmount Cem and the St Louis and Cairo Line provide specific data points for genealogists researching the roots of these Illinois townships during the first half of the twentieth century.