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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 and the surrounding townships of Lovington, Jonathan Creek, and East Nelson are depicted here during a period of established agricultural and industrial connectivity. The landscape is defined by a dense network of over two dozen one-room country schools, including Stringtown Sch, Mayflower Sch, and Mt Pleasant Sch, which illustrate the community-centered rural life of Central Illinois in the mid-1930s. The regional economy is anchored by significant rail infrastructure, with the Pennsylvania and Chicago and Eastern Illinois railroads intersecting the territory.

Along the winding course of the Kaskaskia and Okaw River, specialized landmarks such as the Masonic Home near Sullivan and the Coal Shaft Bridge over the Kaskaskia point to the area's social institutions and extraction history. Small rural clusters like Ullrich, Cushman, and Allenville are mapped alongside family-named cemeteries such as Wright Cem and Henderson Cem, providing a precise look at the settlements and landmarks of Moultrie and Shelby counties before significant modern development.