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1971 Map of Olney

Name: 1971 Topographic Map of Olney
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1973
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1973

About this map

Olney serves as the regional hub at the crossing of the Illinois Central and Baltimore and Ohio railroads. This early 1970s landscape is defined by its institutional and industrial infrastructure, ranging from Olney Central College and the Waterworks to a numerous collection of Oil Wells peppered across the surrounding countryside. The town plan is densely packed with local landmarks like Bower Park and the Courthouse, while the outskirts feature mid-century cultural markers such as a Drive-in Theater.

Outside the urban center, the map reveals a rural geography of small settlements and family history sites. The small village of Calhoun sits to the southeast, supported by local institutions like Calhoun Cem and the Ebenezer Ch. Drainage across the region is managed through a network of creeks including the Fox River and Little Fox Creek, alongside man-made interventions like Jones Ditch. Dozens of individual Oil Wells indicate a persistent petroleum economy integrated into the agricultural grid of Richland Co.