1909 Map of West Frankfort

About this map

The coal-mining and agriculture regions of Southern Illinois are visible here during a period of industrial expansion, with Benton and West Frankfort serving as major population centers. The map documents a dense network of early 20th-century transportation including the Illinois Central, Southern, and Coal Belt railroads, which facilitated the movement of resources from local mines. The landscape is dotted with rural identifiers essential for genealogy, such as Jackson Church, Antioch Church, and several district schools including Moore School and Brush Prairie School. Smaller, distinct communities like Deering City, Bessie, and Parrish provide evidence of early settlement patterns before later consolidation. The topography is defined by the winding Middle Fork Big Muddy River and numerous tributaries like Pond Creek, illustrating how the drainage of the Mississippi Embayment influenced road placement and township boundaries.