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1968 Map of Oraville

Name: 1968 Topographic Map of Oraville
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1978
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1978

About this map

The Big Muddy River winds through the southern landscape of this 1960s survey, marking a distinct border near the Missouri Pacific and Illinois Central Gulf rail lines. This period is defined by the significant expansion of Kinkaid Lake within the Shawnee National Forest, where purple photorevised updates from 1978 show the rising waters following the construction of the Crisenberry Dam. Small rural communities and agrarian roots are evident through numerous family-named burial grounds like Bartlett Cem and Lone Oak Cem.

In the northeast, Oraville sits along the railroad corridor, while landmarks such as the Townhall and local houses of worship like Pleasant Hill Ch and Camp Creek Ch suggest the enduring social centers of the era. The transition from the rugged bluffs of Fountain Bluff to the established Lake Murphysboro State Park highlights a region balancing timber resources, traditional farming, and the growth of water-based recreation.