1958 Map of Woodville

About this map

Woodville serves as the central hub for this corner of Wilkinson County, where the Illinois Central railroad terminates after passing through the settlement of Ashwood. The landscape is defined by the winding course of the Buffalo River and the Homochitto River, which mark the northern reaches of the area. This late-1950s survey documents a remarkably dense network of rural community institutions, including dozens of country churches and schools like Magnolia Sch and St Matthews Ch that likely anchored family life for generations. In the south, the village of Pinckneyville sits near Arcole Cem and the Desert Creek drainage, while the Crosby Lookout Tower stands as a sentinel over the timberlands to the northeast. The presence of numerous named gravel pits and the transition from the river lowlands to the dissected uplands reflect a local economy tied to the land's natural resources and transport lines.