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1968 Map of Shellsburg

Name: 1968 Topographic Map of Shellsburg
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1983
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1983

About this map

The Cedar River creates a wide, branching riparian corridor through this Benton and Linn County landscape, defining the character of the riverbottom lands and adjacent bluffs. Local transportation and industry at the time of this 1968 survey were anchored by the Iowa Northern and Illinois Central Gulf railroads, which facilitated movement between the settlements of Shellsburg, Palo, and Covington.

Genealogists and local historians can locate several rural landmarks, including the Lincoln Ch and multiple burial grounds such as Strawn Cem and Spring Grove Cem. The map also captures the development of public lands, from the large Pleasant Creek State Park in the north to the Chain Lakes County Park along the river. Resource extraction is evident in the numerous quarries and gravel pits that dot the landscape near Bear Creek and Fayette township.