1984 Map of West Frankfort

About this map

Orient No. 2 Mine and Zeigler No. 4 Mine anchor a landscape defined by intensive resource extraction and heavy transport in the early 1980s. This survey records the industrial corridor connecting West Frankfort, Marion, and Harrisburg, where a dense network of rail lines including the Illinois Central Gulf RR and Burlington Northern RR served numerous active collieries. To the east, the terrain transitions into the Shawnee Hills, where the Saline River system winds toward its confluence with the Ohio River near Old Shawneetown. The presence of extensive oil fields and oil and gas fields near Omaha and Walpole highlights the region's diverse energy economy. Conservation areas like the Crab Orchard National Wildlife Refuge and Ferne Clyffe State Park provide a distinct contrast to the active mining and drilling operations that dominate the central plains.