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1945 Map of Vandalia

Name: 1945 Topographic Map of Vandalia
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1969
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1969

About this map

The Kaskaskia River winds southward through Fayette County, defining a complex landscape of wetlands and sloughs such as Horseshoe Lake and Burtschi Pond. In the mid-1940s, Vandalia served as the central hub of this region, anchored by the Pennsylvania railroad and the Vandalia Airport. The surrounding countryside is densely dotted with rural infrastructure, from numerous one-room schoolhouses like Clover College Sch and Hickory Ridge Sch to small faith-based centers such as Luster Chapel.

Transport and topography influenced the placement of settlements like Hagarstown and Shobonier along the rail lines and major roads. The map reveals the persistence of family-named landmarks and local burial grounds, including the Mc Inturff Cem and the Evans Cem situated along the Evans Cem Road. The southern reaches of the quadrangle show the border with Marion County, where the terrain transitions into the creek-fed bottomlands of Crooked Creek and Maggot Creek.