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1959 Map of Nora Springs

Name: 1959 Topographic Map of Nora Springs
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1966
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1966

About this map

Shell Rock River defines the geography of this North Iowa landscape, carving a valley that dictated the placement of the region's earliest rail and settlement hubs. In the late 1950s, Nora Springs and Rock Falls served as primary anchors for a rural economy centered on the river and the intersecting lines of the Chicago Rock Island and Pacific and the Chicago Milwaukee St Paul and Pacific railroads.

The presence of Numerous Gravel Pit locations along the riverbanks indicates the active extraction industry of the era, while the Nora Springs-Rock Falls Sch reflects the consolidation of local education. Genealogists can trace property boundaries and community landmarks such as Spring Grove Cem and the small settlement of Plymouth at the northwestern bend of the river. Aviation interest is represented by the isolated Spotts Landing Field, situated between the major rail corridors.