Loading map...

1901 Map of Poynette

Name: 1901 Topographic Map of Poynette
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1901
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1901

About this map

Poynette serves as a central hub in this turn-of-the-century portrait of Columbia and Dane counties, situated where the Chicago Milwaukee and St. Paul R. R. (Madison Portage Line) bisects the landscape. The western edge is defined by the broad curves of the Wisconsin River near Dekorra, while the surrounding prairie is dotted with small agricultural settlements like Arlington, Leeds, and North Leeds.

The map reveals a transition from the river-fed valleys of Wilson Creek and Rowan Creek to the marshy lowlands of the east, including Mud Lake and Goose Pond. The intricate platting of townships like Wyocena and Vienna highlights the established rural network of schools and farmsteads connected by the railroad's path toward Morrisonville. This survey provides a clear view of the region's transport-driven development before the modern expansion of Madison's northern reaches.