1951 Map of Saint Bernice

About this map

Saint Bernice and Blanford anchor this 1951 survey of the Illinois-Indiana borderlands, where the landscape is defined by a dense intersection of industrial extraction and rail transport. The map documents an intensive corridor of Strip Mines and isolated Mines that follow the valley of Brouilletts Creek. These coal operations were supported by the Chicago Milwaukee St Paul and Pacific railroad, which runs north-to-south through the heart of the settlements. Small residential clusters like Jonestown and West Clinton appear as compact grids alongside the infrastructure of the mining economy. To the south, the terrain shifts slightly toward water management for industry, evidenced by the Shirkie Mine Pond and the drainage of Coal Creek. This document serves as a precise record of the mid-century coal belt before later reclamation efforts altered the topography of these border townships.