1970 Map of Serena

About this map

The Fox River carves a deep valley through this LaSalle County landscape, where the confluence with Indian Creek and Mission Creek defines the local topography. At the turn of the 1970s, the Burlington Northern railroad serves the grain and gravel interests of Serena, while the village of Norway maintains its role as a cultural center for the surrounding prairie. A high concentration of family and community burial grounds, including Brumback Cem, Fox River Cem, and Nelson Cem, offers significant detail for genealogical research into the region's early settlers. The map also traces the Old Treaty Boundary Road, reflecting the 19th-century surveying lines that partitioned the townships of Serena, Mission, Rutland, and Miller. Along the river bluffs, recreational sites like Camp Merrybrook and Wilderness Campground highlight the transition from an exclusively agricultural economy to one that includes seasonal tourism.