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1947 Map of Wayne City

Name: 1947 Topographic Map of Wayne City
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1947
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1947

About this map

The Southern railroad corridor serves as the primary East-West artery for this mid-century Illinois landscape, connecting the bustling village of Wayne City with neighboring Keenes and Bluford. The terrain is defined by the winding course of Skillet Fork and its numerous tributaries, including Fourmile Creek and Horse Creek, which carved through the agricultural reaches of Arrington Prairie and Round Prairie. The map documents a dense network of early rural infrastructure, evidenced by dozens of named country schools and churches that served as community anchors before modern consolidation.

Genealogists will find significant value in the distribution of family-named landmarks and small burial grounds such as Garrison Cem and Egbert Cem. Notable landmarks include the Town Hall near Keenesville and the Illinois Central Reservoir near the western boundary. From the elevations of Potato Hill to the lowlands of Horseshoe Slough, the map captures a rural society organized around small crossroads settlements and the vital rail link that facilitated local trade.