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1985 Map of Sparta

Name: 1985 Topographic Map of Sparta
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1990
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1990

About this map

The Fort McCoy Military Reservation dominates the northern reaches of this mid-1980s landscape, illustrating the significant federal footprint in Monroe County. The map details a transition from the agricultural lowlands of the La Crosse River and Lemonweir River valleys into the distinctive ridge-and-coulee topography of the Driftless Area. This is most evident in the complex terrain surrounding Wildcat Mountain State Park and the various family-named ridges like Potter Ridge and Bohemian Ridge.

Transportation history is clearly marked by the presence of the Chicago and North Western and Milwaukee Road rail lines, alongside the early conversion of rail corridors into recreational assets like the Elroy-Sparta State Trail. From the regional hubs of Sparta and Tomah to smaller settlements such as Melvina and Norwalk, the map preserves a network of rural parishes and burial grounds, including St Marys Church and the Catholic Cem, essential for genealogical research in this Wisconsin heartland.