1952 Map of Platteville

Outside the urban center, the map reveals a network of rural settlements and family-named schools, including Bigpatch, Ipswich, and Elmo. Transportation is defined by the crossing of the Chicago Milwaukee St Paul and Pacific and the Chicago and North Western railroads. These lines connected the upland farms and mines to larger markets, passing through the townships of Elk Grove and Smelser while following the drainages of Blockhouse Creek and the Galena River.