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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 snakes through the eastern half of this landscape, its path marked by crossings like Shellenbarker Bridge and the Copeland Bridge. As the county seat, Shelbyville serves as the central hub, surrounded by a dense network of township-level settlements and rural institutions from the mid-1940s. The map reveals an agrarian society deeply rooted in local districts, evidenced by the numerous small schools such as Ragweed Sch, Little Brick Sch, and Rose Center Sch.

Transportation corridors including the Chicago and Eastern Illinois and NYC railroads define the growth of towns like Tower Hill and Lakewood. Notable landmarks such as the County Poor Farm and Williamsburg Hill provide geographical and social anchors for the period. The landscape is dotted with family-named burial grounds and churches, including Gallagher Chapel Cem and St Johns Ch, reflecting the generational lineage of Shelby County.