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1940 Map of Sullivan

Name: 1940 Topographic Map of Sullivan
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1940
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1940

About this map

Sullivan serves as the central hub of this Central Illinois landscape, surrounded by a dense network of late-Depression era rural infrastructure. The map reveals an intricate web of transportation, where the Illinois Central, Wabash, and Chicago and Eastern Illinois railroads converge near the heart of Moultrie Co. These rails supported a farming economy characterized by small, family-named landmarks like the Masonic Home and the Coal Shaft Bridge over the Kaskaskia River.

A notable density of country schools and churches, such as St Isadore Ch and the American Sch, highlights a community-centric settlement pattern that was beginning to transition as motor routes expanded. Detailed surveying captures the winding courses of Jonathan Creek and Eagle Creek before major 20th-century hydrology projects altered the local drainage. Genealogists can trace family names through numerous plots like Wright Cem and Seass Cem, which anchor the history of townships like Lovington and East Nelson.