Boone County [Illinois]

Uncommon Depression-era map of Boone County, Illinois,

This unusual map of Boone County, Illinois was designed by County Superintendent of Highways A.J. Van Epps in August of 1935 – almost exactly a century after the north-central Illinois county was organized and settled by white Americans. Red overprinting indicates this example was distributed by Elmer E. Stults, Inc., a real estate firm with offices in Chicago and Winnetka (a northern suburb).

The image highlights the complex method of road construction and funding, with various routes and their respective surfaces (paved, gravel, unimproved, etc.) noted according to the legend in the center-right. Several property transfers, possibly related to right-of-ways, are labeled and dated. Township and county boundary lines are shown, along with the locations of schools (squares) and cemeteries (crosses).