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1959 Map of Shawneetown

Name: 1959 Topographic Map of Shawneetown
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1967
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1967

About this map

The Ohio River serves as the central artery for this mid-century survey, dividing the Illinois communities of Gallatin and Hardin counties from the Kentucky landscapes of Union County. A unique dual-settlement pattern is visible here: Old Shawneetown sits on the riverbank, while the relocation to New Shawneetown inland reflects the area's struggle with flooding. The river valley is punctuated by several sloughs and lakes, including Cypress Slough and Fish Lake, while the uplands of the Shawnee National Forest rise to the southwest.

Extensive coal and mineral extraction defines the local economy, particularly near Saline Mines and across the river in Kentucky at Dekoven and Caseyville. Genealogists will find a high density of rural landmarks, from the Immaculate Conception Cem and St Ambrose Ch to the remote Shewmaker Sch. Industrial history is recorded in the network of the Baltimore and Ohio and Louisville and Nashville railroads, which once connected these mining and river ports to the wider region.