1926 Map of Stoddard

About this map

The Mississippi River creates a complex landscape of islands and side channels in this 1920s survey, where the Chicago Burlington and Quincy RR hugs the shoreline. Moving inland from the riverbank, the terrain rises sharply into the distinctive coulees and ridges of Vernon and La Crosse Counties. The map reveals a high density of rural schoolhouses such as Evening Star School, White Pigeon School, and Brinkman Ridge School serving the farming families of Hamburg and Bergen townships. Small settlements like Romance and Chaseburg are centered along the winding course of Coon Creek and the Bad Axe River, reflecting an era of localized rural commerce before modern highway expansion. The presence of Warner Landing and numerous sloughs like Mormon Slough and Goose Slough highlights the river's ongoing role in regional navigation and geography.