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1903 Map of Waukon

Name: 1903 Topographic Map of Waukon
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1950
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1950

About this map

The Mississippi River valley dominates this turn-of-the-century landscape, serving as a corridor for the Chicago Burlington and Quincy RR along the eastern bank and several Milwaukee lines to the west. On the Iowa side, Waukon stands as a significant hub connected by rail to the river at Waukon Junc., while the rugged terrain of Effigy Mounds National Monument overlooks the confluence of the Yellow River and the Mississippi.

Settlement patterns reveal a mix of river towns like Lansing and Harpers Ferry alongside upland farming communities such as Rossville and Waterville. The map preserves the locations of early local industry, including Forest Mills along the Williams Creek and various ferry crossings that linked the Iowa and Wisconsin shores before modern bridge infrastructure was prevalent. Deep river valleys and high bluffs define the geography, with the Upper Iowa River winding through the northern reaches near New Albin.