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1936 Map of Pecatonica

Name: 1936 Topographic Map of Pecatonica
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1936
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1936

About this map

The Pecatonica River and its meandering tributaries define the landscape of northern Illinois in the mid-1930s, winding through a dense network of rural schoolhouses and family-named intersections. Settled communities like Pecatonica, Durand, and Davis serve as anchors for the surrounding agrarian townships, connected by the Chicago Milwaukee St Paul and Pacific and the Chicago and Northwestern railroads.

Detailed rural infrastructure is evident in the prevalence of one-room schools such as Happy Hollow Sch, Trask Bridge Sch, and Laona Center Sch. The map preserves the locations of early local landmarks like Farwell Bridge and the Sumner Island wetlands. From the northern reaches near the Sugar River to the southern rail stops at Ridott, this survey documents a transition era where state highways like State Hy No 70 began to supersede the older local trackways.