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1933 Map of St. Charles

Name: 1933 Topographic Map of St. Charles
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1933
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1933

About this map

The confluence of the Mississippi River and Missouri River dominates this landscape, where the shifting waters have carved out complex islands and chutes. Between the two great rivers lies the fertile bottomland of St. Charles Co, marked by a grid of rural schools and small rail-side settlements such as Orchard Farm and Portage Des Sioux. The Missouri shore is guarded by the National Guard Target Range, while the Illinois side features steep bluffs rising above Elsah and Chautauqua.

Evidence of the era's rail-and-river economy is visible through the Chicago Burlington and Quincy railroad line and numerous river features like Pelican Island and Brick House Slough. Local history is preserved in the placement of small rural institutions such as Pleasant Union Sch, Walnut Grove Sch, and Smelzer Lake Sch, reflecting the distributed nature of farming communities before the mid-century consolidation of rural districts.