1971 Map of West Salem

About this map

The village of West Salem anchors this portion of southeastern Illinois during the early 1970s, serving as a hub for the surrounding rural townships of Madison and Bonpas. The landscape is defined by the Illinois Central railroad corridor and a series of stream valleys including Sugar Creek, Madden Creek, and Johnson Creek. For local history researchers, the map provides a high-resolution view of numerous rural gathering places and burial sites, such as the Moravian Cemetery and Long Prairie Church. The presence of the Parkersburg Oil Field and scattered oil wells indicates the region's mid-century petroleum activity. Municipal infrastructure is evident in the West Salem Reservoir and the West Salem Airport, while small settlements like Parkersburg remain connected by an established network of secondary roads spanning the Richland and Edwards County line.