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1940 Map of Tallula

Name: 1940 Topographic Map of Tallula
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1956
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1956

About this map

New Salem State Park preserves the frontier history of the Sangamon River valley, anchoring this 1940 culture revision of Central Illinois. The map documents a landscape defined by its vital rail corridors, including the Chicago and Alton RR and the Baltimore and Southwestern RR, which supported agricultural settlements like Tallula and Pleasant Plains. Along the eastern boundary, the Old Salem Chautauqua sits on the bluffs above the river, a remnant of the early 20th-century educational and social movement.

Downstream from the state park, the terrain shifts into the rolling prairies of Rock Creek and Salisbury townships. Small rail stops and post offices such as Berlin, Riddle Hill, and Farmingdale dot the southern half of the quadrangle, illustrating the dense network of rural communities before mid-century modernization consolidated these smaller hubs. The intricate drainage of Prairie Creek and Spring Creek further highlights the intersection of the natural watershed and established farm property lines.