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1963 Map of West Salem

Name: 1963 Topographic Map of West Salem
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1975
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1975

About this map

Neshonoc Lake serves as a focal point in this portion of La Crosse County, where the La Crosse River carves through a landscape defined by its numerous coulees. The village of West Salem sits at the junction of the Chicago and North Western and the Chicago Milwaukee St Paul and Pacific railroads, signaling its historical role as a transportation hub. Land use during the mid-1960s is evidenced by the numerous quarries and a gravel pit dotting the hills, alongside civic landmarks like the County Fairground and County Hospital.

Rural life is meticulously documented through local institutions such as Bell Coulee Ch and several country schools, including Walker Sch and Brookside Sch. The map also captures several family-named valleys like McKinley Valley and Adams Valley, providing vital clues for genealogists tracking local land ownership. Significant updates from the early 1970s appear in purple, highlighting the development of a Trailer Park and highway expansions near the village center.