2021 Map of New Athens West

About this map

Smithton and Hecker anchor the western edge of this agricultural corridor, where the land transitions from the high ground of Belcher Ridge and Tamarawa Ridge down into the bottomlands of the Kaskaskia River. The landscape is notably dense with family and community burial grounds, including Maurer Cem, Wiskamp Cem, and Darmstatter Cem, providing a detailed record of 19th and 20th-century settlement patterns across St. Clair and Monroe counties. In the southeast, the river creates a complex network of oxbows and wetlands such as Stubblefield Lake, Sawmill Lake, and White Cabin Slough near the settlement of New Athens. This interplay between the high ridges and the river valley is further marked by local infrastructure like the Smith RLA Airport and Wirth Island, reflecting the area's mix of rural aviation and riverine geography.