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1951 Map of Pekin NW

Name: 1951 Topographic Map of Pekin NW
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1951
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1951

About this map

Stump Lake and its surrounding prairie potholes dominate this 1950s landscape, reflecting the glacial geography of Nelson County. The survey captures the shoreline at a specific historical moment, noting a mean elevation of 1400 feet for 1950, which fluctuates significantly in this terminal lake basin. Much of the western shore is protected as the Stump Lake National Wildlife Refuge, a vital conservation area for migratory birds.

The human geography is defined by a rigid section-line grid typical of the Great Plains, punctuated by localized identifiers such as Illinois, Wadsworth, and Leval. Education in this rural expanse was centered around small schoolhouses, specifically School No 1 and School No 2, which served the scattered farmsteads. Smaller bodies of water like Rose Lake, Swan Lake, and Coon Lake dot the northern terrain, indicating the high water table and natural drainage patterns before modern modifications.