2015 Map of Belgique

About this map

Belgique and McBride sit on the fertile bottomlands along the Mississippi River border between Missouri and Illinois, where the landscape is defined by the shifting paths of the Great River. The Missouri Chute separates the mainland from river-bound landforms like Crains Island and Puckett Island, illustrating the complex hydrology of this alluvial plain. In the southern half of the map, the terrain shifts abruptly into the dissected uplands of Big Hollow, where numerous small waterways like Christisen Br and McClanahan Cr carve through the hills. For genealogists and local historians, the sheet preserves the locations of Nativity Cemetery near the river and Preston Cemetery tucked into the higher ground west of Bois Brule. The presence of the Perryville Municipal Airport near the northern boundary contrasts with the older settlement patterns of Sereno, showing the continued development of this riverfront corridor.