1957 Map of Urbana

About this map

The dual urban hubs of Urbana and Champaign anchor this mid-century survey of the Illinois prairie, showing the region just as the Interstate highway era began to reshape the outskirts. The map reveals a landscape defined by an extensive drainage network, including the Upper Salt Fork Drainage Ditch and Illinois Central Ditch, which converted rich wetlands into productive farmland. Beyond the city limits, numerous country schools like Locust Grove Sch and Fiedler Sch remain as evidence of a denser rural population before the consolidation of the late 20th century.