1915 Map of Vincennes

About this map

The Wabash River and Embarrass River dominate this landscape during the mid-1940s, defining the borders between Lawrence County, Illinois, and Knox County, Indiana. The prominent rail hubs of Lawrenceville and Vincennes anchor the region, connected by a dense web of tracks including the Baltimore and Ohio Southwestern RR and the Chicago and Eastern Illinois RR. This survey illustrates a rural society organized around its district schools, with numerous named facilities like Plank Road School, Sand Ridge School, and Crossroads School serving the farming communities. Between the rivers, the geography is marked by drainage systems like the Allison Ditch and Beaver Pond Ditch, which reclaimed land from former wetlands. Notable terrain features such as the Vincennes Common and the Sand Barrens south of St Francisville highlight the unique river-bottom ecology of the era.