1957 Map of Potomac

About this map

Potomac and the surrounding agricultural townships of east-central Illinois are documented here during the mid-1950s, a period of transition as traditional one-room schoolhouses like the Science Hill Sch were already falling out of use. The landscape is defined by the meandering courses of the Vermilion River and Bluegrass Creek, which contrast with the rigid sectional grid of the surrounding prairie. Transportation is anchored by the New York Chicago and St Louis and the Illinois Central and Chicago Eastern railroads, which facilitated the grain and livestock trade for small settlements like Rankin and Armstrong. Numerous local burial grounds, including Chenoweth Cem and St Lawrence Cem, provide essential data for genealogical research, pinpointing early family plots and community centers like Wallace Chapel that were often located at remote crossroads.