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1953 Map of Port Byron

Name: 1953 Topographic Map of Port Byron
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1976
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1976

About this map

The Mississippi River and Rock River define this corner of the Illinois-Iowa border, where the landscape transitions from riverbank industry to high-bluff homesteads. River towns like Port Byron, Rapids City, and Le Claire line the Mississippi, while Cleveland and Barstow sit to the south near the Rock River’s winding course. This mid-century survey documents a dense network of rural infrastructure, from the Chicago Milwaukee St Paul and Pacific railroad to neighborhood institutions like Leafy Bower School and Friedens Church.

The interior upland, particularly in the Zuma township area, is marked by numerous family-named landmarks and local burial grounds. Genealogical details abound with labels for the Edwards Cemetery, St Johns Cemetery, and Yost Cemetery. The map also captures specialized land use along the river, including the Upper Mississippi River Wild Life and Fish Refuge and recreational sites like the YWCA Girls Camp and Shawnee Girl Scout Camp.