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1950 Map of Pearl

Name: 1950 Topographic Map of Pearl
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1956
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1956

About this map

The Illinois River serves as the central artery for this mid-century landscape, carving a wide valley between Pike, Greene, and Calhoun counties. Settled communities like Pearl and Hillview are situated along the Chicago and Alton railroad line, while the river's eastern banks are characterized by extensive drainage infrastructure, including the Fairbanks Pumping Sta and several others designed to manage the fertile bottomlands of Bluffdale and Walkerville.

Genealogists will find a high density of rural landmarks, from the Old Settlers Spr and Peppers Cem to numerous family-named schools such as McWilliams Sch and Keach Sch. The western bluffs are deeply dissected by hollows and creeks, where small settlements like Bee Creek and Cliffdale once thrived. In the south, the confluence near Kampsville and the Baytown Mozier PO reflects the era's reliance on both rail transport and river-bottom agriculture.