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1942 Map of Shelburn

Name: 1942 Topographic Map of Shelburn
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1942
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1942

About this map

The coal-rich landscape of Curry and Hamilton townships is centered on the mining and rail hub of Shelburn. In the early 1940s, the Chicago and Eastern Illinois railroad provided the primary artery for industrial output, serving local operations like the Linda Lou Mine. The map reveals a dense network of small settlements and neighborhood clusters including Curryville, Miner City, and Standard, reflecting a period when worker housing was closely tied to the nearby collieries.

Away from the industrial corridor, the terrain transitions into the drainage of Turman Creek and its West Fork, where a rural social fabric is visible through numerous country churches and family-named cemeteries. Sites such as Concord Ch, Benson Ch, and the Little Flock Cem serve as vital markers for genealogists researching the families of western Indiana's coal belt. The distribution of these landmarks across Fairbanks township suggests a settled agricultural community existing alongside the region's heavy industry.