1961 Map of Onalaska

About this map

Onalaska and the surrounding piney woods of Polk County appear in this survey just before the landscape was forever altered by the creation of Lake Livingston. The intricate drainage network of Kickapoo Creek and Rocky Creek dominates the terrain, winding through a patchwork of small homesteads and family cemeteries such as Robinett Cem and Wright Cem. The presence of an Old Railroad Grade running through the southern section points to the area's timber-hauling past, connecting the small settlement of Kickapoo with outlying schools like Rocky Ford Sch. At this time, the bottomlands along Penwa Slough and Hardison Slough remained intact, punctuated by oxbow features like Horseshoe Lake. The map serves as a vital record for genealogists, pinpointing rural landmarks like St Andrew Ch and the Onalaska Lookout before the regional hydroelectric developments.