1947 Map of Ridge Farm

About this map

Georgetown and the surrounding prairie towns of eastern Illinois sit at a transport nexus in the mid-1940s, where heavy rail lines and rural schools define the landscape. The Chicago and Eastern Illinois and New York Central railroads intersect at Chrisman, anchoring a network that connects smaller settlements like Ridge Farm, Olivet, and Indianola. This survey captures a dense rural society characterized by a high frequency of one-room schoolhouses and country churches, such as Washington Sch and the Friends Ch at Vermilion Grove. The terrain transitions from the open flats of Ross and Prairie townships to the winding drainage of the Little Vermilion River and Brouilletts Creek. The presence of small family and community burial grounds, including the Sandusky Cem and Martha Smith Cem, provides a detailed record of the families who settled this border region near the Indiana state line.