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1890 Map of Sun Prairie

Name: 1890 Topographic Map of Sun Prairie
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1890
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1890

About this map

Glacial drumlins and winding waterways define this late-nineteenth-century landscape in eastern Dane County. The settlement of Sun Prairie serves as a primary hub, situated along the Chicago Milwaukee and St Paul Railroad, which cuts eastward through Deansville and Marshall. To the south, the Chicago and Northwestern Railroad connects Vilas, Deerfield, and London, illustrating the vital role of rail transport in moving agricultural goods from the surrounding townships of Bristol, Medina, and Deerfield.

The hydrography of the region is characterized by small lakes and marshy creek beds, including Brazees Lake and Goose Lake. These water features feed into systems like Waterloo Creek and Koshkonong Creek, which meander through the undulating terrain. Small rural crossroads such as Cambridge are documented before significant twentieth-century expansion, offering a clear view of the established property lines and village clusters that formed the backbone of Wisconsin's dairy and farming country during this era.