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1946 Map of Shelbyville

Name: 1946 Topographic Map of Shelbyville
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1946
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1946

About this map

The Kaskaskia River meanders south through the heart of this central Illinois landscape, passing the established county seat of Shelbyville. In the mid-1940s, this region was a dense network of agrarian communities and rural schoolhouses, including Killam School, Empire School, and Frogpond School. The geography is defined by a series of precisely named townships like Rose and Lakewood, where local infrastructure like the County Poor Farm and the Town House served the public.

Transportation is anchored by three major rail lines—the Chicago and Eastern Illinois, New York Central, and Baltimore and Ohio—which intersect at points like Tower Hill. This convergence of rail and river supported a string of smaller settlements such as Westervelt and Cowden. The map preserves the locations of numerous family and community burial grounds, from Craig Cem to Gallagher Chapel Cem, offering a detailed view of the rural social fabric before modern consolidation.