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1907 Map of Sun Prairie

Name: 1907 Topographic Map of Sun Prairie
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1910
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1910

About this map

Glacial drumlins and wetland pockets define the landscape of eastern Dane County during this early twentieth-century survey. The terrain is marked by a distinct northeast-to-southwest grain of ridges and lowlands, most notably seen at Liberty Mound and the sprawling Brazee Swamp. This period shows a well-established network of agricultural hubs connected by a dense lattice of steel. Three major rail lines, including the Chicago Milwaukee and St Paul RR and the Chicago Northwestern RR, serve as the primary lifelines for rural communities like Deansville, Marshall, and Deerfield.

Water plays a critical role in the region's development, with drainage following Waterloo Creek and Koshkonong Creek south toward Mud Lake. Smaller settlements such as Kroghville and London sit on the county lines, while Sun Prairie appears as a significant rail junction and commercial center. The map documents the precise placement of numerous farmsteads and rural crossroads before the modern expansion of Madison altered the character of townships like Cottage Grove.