1949 Map of Paducah

About this map

The Ohio River and Mississippi River converge at Cairo, forming the geographic heart of this mid-century survey where Illinois, Kentucky, and Missouri meet. This regional hub showcases a landscape defined by massive water management and conservation projects, including the newly formed Lake Barkley and Kentucky Lake on the Cumberland River and Tennessee River. The industrial and coal-mining character of southern Illinois is evident in the cluster of towns around Carbondale, Herrin, and Marion, supported by a dense network of the Illinois Central RR and Louisville & Nashville RR. Public lands dominate the central corridor, from the Shawnee National Forest to the Crab Orchard National Wildlife Refuge. The map captures a transitional era of transportation, where river ferries and islands like Powers Island and Kaskaskia Island coexist with an expanding system of U.S. Highways and state parks.