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1901 Map of Owensboro

Name: 1901 Topographic Map of Owensboro
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1901
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1901

About this map

Owensboro and Rockport anchor this river-driven landscape at the dawn of the twentieth century, connected by the massive bend of the Ohio River that defines the state boundary. The Kentucky side is dominated by the industrial and rail hub of Owensboro, where the Ill. Cent. R. R. and the Louisville Henderson and St. Louis R. R. converge near the Bon Harbor Hills. Across the water in Indiana, the topography shifts into a complex system of drainage ditches and former wetlands, most notably the expansive Willow Pond Bed.

Smaller settlements like Richland City, Patronville, and Lake Mills appear among a network of rural roads and land divisions. The map captures a transitional era of engineering, where extensive ditching projects like Hooppole Ditch and Rose Pond Ditch were actively reshaping the floodplains for agriculture. Navigation and river commerce are highlighted by prominent features such as French Island, Little Hurricane Island, and the Pup Creek Bar.