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1978 Map of Pleasant Hill West

Name: 1978 Topographic Map of Pleasant Hill West
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1978
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1978

About this map

The Mississippi River dominates this mid-1970s landscape, carving a complex network of backwaters and side channels along the Illinois-Missouri border. The river valley is a mosaic of conservation and industrial utility, featuring the Mark Twain National Wildlife Refuge and the Clarksville State Game Refuge alongside significant transport infrastructure like the Illinois Central Gulf railroad. On the Illinois side, the town of Pleasant Hill sits near the base of the bluffs, while the river bottoms are filled with uniquely named features such as Cocklebur Slough, Towhead Lake, and Horseshoe Lake.

Genealogists and local historians can locate several family landmarks and small communities, including Wells Cem, Sapp Cem, and the settlement of Atlas. The map captures the engineered landscape of the late 20th century, where levees protect low-lying fields and landmarks like Jaeger Knob provide natural relief from the river-bottom flats. Further south, the town of Clarksville and its nearby Clarksville Island mark the river's path into Missouri.