1954 Map of St. Jacob

About this map

St Jacob serves as the primary hub of this landscape, situated along the Penn Central rail line during a period of transition in rural Illinois. The map captures the agricultural and genealogical heart of eastern Madison County, where an unusually high density of family and community burial grounds, such as Hagler Cem, Lagenwalter Cem, and Schmidt Cem, dot the countryside. A notable ancient landmark, Emerald Mound, stands near the southern edge of the sheet in the O'Fallon precinct, providing a link to pre-settlement history. The drainage patterns of Silver Creek and its various branches, including Little Silver Creek, dictate the movement across the terrain, while infrastructure like the Old Railroad Grade and St Johns Sch reflect the organized development of the early twentieth-century rural school and transport network.