1954 Map of St. Jacob

About this map

The St Jacob village landscape is defined by the complex hydrology of Silver Creek and its major tributaries, including the East Fork and Lake Fork. In the mid-1950s, this portion of Madison County maintained a dense network of local landmarks, ranging from the prominent Emerald Mound to numerous family and community burial grounds such as Anderson Cem, Friedens Cem, and Smart Cem. The transition from rural township life to an increasingly connected region is visible through the alignment of the Pennsylvania railroad line and the presence of scattered country schools like St Johns Sch and Emerald Mound Sch. The map clearly illustrates the boundary between Madison and St. Clair counties, tracing how agricultural land use followed the natural contours of the local creek bottoms and drainage systems.