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1936 Map of Prophetstown

Name: 1936 Topographic Map of Prophetstown
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1936
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1936

About this map

The Rock River dominates the northern landscape of this Whiteside County region, carving a winding path past Indian Island and Millwoods Island. The settlement of Prophetstown sits at a critical bend in the river, serving as a hub for the Chicago Burlington and Quincy RR. To the south, the terrain transitions into an intricate network of drainage ditches and sloughs, such as Wildcat Slough and Big Slough, illustrating the intensive effort to manage the prairie wetlands for agriculture.

Evidence of the area's deep history is preserved in the Old Indian Trail near the Henry County border and the Old Boundary Line cutting through the southern townships. Rural life is densely documented through numerous one-room schoolhouses like Hooppole Grove Sch and Highland Sch, alongside small clusters of settlement at Tampico, Yorktown, and Hooppole, the latter served by the short-line Hooppole Yorktown and Tampico RR.