Loading map...

1942 Map of Aurora

Name: 1942 Topographic Map of Aurora
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1962
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1962

About this map

Aurora and Marionville anchor this early 1940s landscape, a region defined by the convergence of major rail lines and the intricate drainage of the Spring River and Crane Creek. The Missouri Pacific RR and St. Louis - San Francisco RR cut through the terrain, serving a network of small upland settlements like Talmage, Elsey, and Jenkins. The landscape transitions from the open stretches of Buck Prairie in the north to the deeply incised hollows and ridges of the southern hills, where numerous springs and caves, such as Upshaw Spr and Pigeon Roost Cave, suggest the complex karst geography of the area.

Local history is preserved in the high density of rural institutions, from the Mineral Point Sch to the Union Grove Ch. Genealogists will find many family-named landmarks and smaller burial grounds like Stubblefield Cem and Hood Cem. The map also captures specialized land use, including the Mine Hol near the northern boundary and the isolated Bean Factory Spr, providing a detailed view of the rural Ozark economy during the mid-twentieth century.