{"product_id":"old-map-of-carbondale-illinois-by-usgs-1941-murphysboro-shawnee-national-forest-big-muddy-river","title":"Old Map of Carbondale, Illinois by USGS, 1941 – Murphysboro, Shawnee National Forest \u0026 Big Muddy River","description":"\u003cp\u003eTitled “Carbondale,” this US Geological Survey topographical map was published in 1955 using survey data from 1941, preserving a detailed portrait of southern Illinois on the eve of major postwar transformation. At 1:62,500 scale, it places Carbondale at the center of a richly varied landscape of towns, rail corridors, rural roads, waterways, wooded ridges, and cultivated ground. The sheet captures a region where education, coal, agriculture, and transport converged: Carbondale was already emerging as an important urban center, while nearby communities such as Murphysboro, De Soto, Makanda, Alto Pass, and Anna formed a network of small towns tied together by industry and the land. It is a map of both settlement and terrain, meticulous in detail and quietly evocative of mid-century Illinois.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe US Geological Survey brought to this map the disciplined visual language that made its topographic sheets indispensable to engineers, planners, geologists, hikers, and local authorities. Contour lines articulate the rise and fall of the land with scientific precision, while careful color separation distinguishes water, woodland, roads, railways, and built-up areas. The result is not merely a navigational document, but a layered interpretation of place. Around Carbondale, the terrain grows more dramatic than many expect of Illinois, descending into creek valleys and rising into broken uplands associated with the northern edges of the Shawnee Hills. The map’s design allows the eye to move easily from urban streets to farm fields, from rail junctions to streams, and from gentle slopes to rugged country.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eCarbondale’s prominence on the map reflects its historical role as one of southern Illinois’s principal centers. Its growth was tied to the Illinois Central Railroad, coal extraction, and the presence of Southern Illinois University, which would expand rapidly in the decades after the survey data were collected. The map records the city before much of that later expansion, making the surrounding roads, rail lines, and rural land patterns especially revealing. Murphysboro, to the west, appears as another important node, historically associated with coal, clay, timber, and river-linked commerce. Smaller settlements such as De Soto and Makanda speak to a landscape of local economies, where rail stops, farms, mines, and market towns shaped everyday life across Jackson and neighboring counties.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe natural features shown are among the map’s great pleasures. The Big Muddy River and its tributaries define much of the regional drainage, winding through lowlands and shaping both settlement and agriculture. Pigeon Creek, Old Town Lake, Cedar Lake, Sunset Lake, and Lake Murphysboro add texture to the hydrological story, marking places where water gathered, powered local ecologies, or supported recreation and land use. South of Carbondale, the terrain trends toward the wilder character of the Shawnee National Forest, with wooded hills, ravines, and scenic formations that distinguish this corner of Illinois from the flatter prairie regions farther north. Nearby landmarks such as Little Grand Canyon evoke the erosive power of water and time, carved into sandstone country.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAs a historical document, the map offers a compelling snapshot of land use before the full force of postwar suburbanization, highway expansion, university growth, and later reservoir development altered the region. Its roads and railroads reveal the infrastructure that connected farms, coal fields, timberlands, and towns; its contours and watercourses reveal why those connections took the forms they did. Agricultural clearings, wooded tracts, and mining-associated communities coexist in a landscape poised between extraction, education, and conservation. The inclusion of the Shawnee National Forest area is especially significant, reflecting a period when federal stewardship and recreational appreciation were becoming more visible in southern Illinois. Elegant, exacting, and historically resonant, this USGS sheet transforms the Carbondale region into a richly legible terrain of memory and change.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eCities, towns and places on this map\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eCarbondale, Illinois\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eMurphysboro, Illinois\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eAlto Pass, Illinois\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eDe Soto, Illinois\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eMakanda, Illinois\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eAnna, Illinois\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eLake Murphysboro\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eBig Muddy River\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eShawnee National Forest\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eLittle Grand Canyon\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003ePigeon Creek\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eOld Town Lake\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eCedar Lake\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eSunset Lake\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eRend Lake\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eVarious railroads and highways notable for regional access\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eHistorical context \u0026amp; cartographic details\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eProduced by the US Geological Survey as a historical 1:62,500 topographical map.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eBased on data from 1941 and published with a 1955 imprint.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eShows the Carbondale area during the early 20th century, offering insight into urban development and land use change.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eReflects regional agricultural and mining activity, including the area’s coal mining history.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eCarbondale is notable as a hub for Southern Illinois University.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eUses shading and contour lines to represent elevation changes, typical of USGS topographical mapping.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eEmploys color to distinguish land types, water bodies, and other landscape features.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eDisplays varied regional topography, including hills, valleys, lakes, and surrounding landscapes.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eLooking for a particular place?\u003c\/strong\u003e Review the detailed images to confirm that the town, landmark or feature you have in mind appears on the map. If you are unsure, \u003ca target=\"”_blank”\" href=\"\/pages\/contact-us\"\u003eask our workshop to check before you order\u003c\/a\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eDetailed maps are especially rewarding at larger sizes, where names, boundaries and decorative features have more room to be appreciated. Use the close-up preview and size guide to choose the right scale for your wall.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis map looks amazing at sizes all the way up to 50in (125cm). If you are looking for a larger map, please \u003ca href=\"\/pages\/contact-us\"\u003eget in touch\u003c\/a\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThe model in the listing images is holding the 16x20in (40x50cm) version of this map.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWhere personalisation is available, you can add a short title or dedication, mark one meaningful place, or request one considered visual detail. \u003ca target=\"”_blank”\" href=\"\/pages\/map-personalisation\"\u003eSee personalised map examples\u003c\/a\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eEvery piece is printed to museum-grade archival standards using fade-resistant pigment inks on acid-free matte paper. Choose an unframed map print, framed map or canvas using the finish options above. Framed maps use crystal-clear optical acrylic and arrive ready to hang.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eWith its rich detail and strong sense of place, this map makes a considered gift for a new home, anniversary, retirement or anyone with a personal connection to the area shown. Still deciding? Explore our collection of \u003ca target=\"”_blank”\" href=\"\/collections\/all-old-vintage-antique-maps\"\u003erare old and vintage maps\u003c\/a\u003e to discover another place, period or style.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"The Unique Maps Co.","offers":[{"title":"12x16in (30x40cm) \/ Map","offer_id":59985006690688,"sku":null,"price":354.0,"currency_code":"CNY","in_stock":true},{"title":"12x16in (30x40cm) \/ Framed map","offer_id":59985006723456,"sku":null,"price":952.0,"currency_code":"CNY","in_stock":true},{"title":"12x16in (30x40cm) \/ Framed canvas map","offer_id":59985006756224,"sku":null,"price":0.0,"currency_code":"CNY","in_stock":true},{"title":"A3 (297x420mm) \/ Map","offer_id":59985006788992,"sku":null,"price":354.0,"currency_code":"CNY","in_stock":true},{"title":"A3 (297x420mm) \/ Framed map","offer_id":59985006821760,"sku":null,"price":952.0,"currency_code":"CNY","in_stock":true},{"title":"A3 (297x420mm) \/ Framed canvas 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