1903 Map of Whitewater

About this map

The Chicago Milwaukee and St Paul railroad cuts diagonally across this landscape, connecting the established hubs of Whitewater and Palmyra during a period of agricultural and industrial development in southeastern Wisconsin. This survey, revised by H.L. McDonald, highlights a region defined by its glacial hydrology, where the Scuppernong River and Bark River snake through extensive wetlands. Small milling and farming communities like Heaths Mills, Rome, and Hebron are depicted as they appeared at the opening of the twentieth century. To the south, the complex shoreline of the Lauderdale Lakes and the basin of Whitewater Lake are clearly defined, surrounded by smaller prairie settlements such as Heart Prairie and Little Prairie. The map documents the intricate network of early roads and township boundaries, including Lagrange and Cold Spring, providing a precise look at rural settlement patterns before modern highway expansion.