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1972 Map of Putnam

Name: 1972 Topographic Map of Putnam
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1974
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1974

About this map

Putnam occupies a narrow terrace between the steep, dissected bluffs and the broad Illinois River bottomlands in the early 1970s. The landscape is defined by the sharp transition from the upland prairies of Wheatland and Whitefield to the alluvial plains of Goose Lake and Senachwine Lake. Significant water management and recreation are evident at Lake Thunderbird, where a spillway and the nearby St Joseph Cem mark the intersection of modern development and older local landmarks.

Transportation and utility infrastructure follow the natural corridor of the river valley, with the Chicago and Rock Island Pacific railroad skirting the base of the bluffs. Local history is preserved in several burial sites across the townships, including Lone Tree Corners Cem and Sugar Grove Cem. The area’s drainage is characterized by the meandering paths of Senachwine Creek and Crow Creek, the latter featuring a Gaging Station near the southern border with Marshall County.