1953 Map of Port Byron

About this map

The Mississippi River serves as the central artery of this mid-century survey, dividing the riverside towns of Le Claire in Iowa and Port Byron in Illinois. The landscape is characterized by a dense network of rural infrastructure, featuring a notable concentration of country schools such as Leafy Bower School and Rose Hill School that once served the agricultural uplands. To the south, the Rock River meanders toward its confluence, bordering the settlements of Barstow and Cleveland. Transportation patterns are well-defined by the Chicago Milwaukee St Paul and Pacific and Chicago Burlington and Quincy railroads, which facilitated the movement of goods through the river valley. Genealogists will find a wealth of data in the many small burial grounds and parish sites, including St Johns Cemetery and Zion Church, documenting the early families who established these communities across Zuma and Hampton townships.