1980 Map of Belton

About this map

Richards-Gebaur Air Force Base dominates the northern half of this orthophotoquad, showing the massive runways and sprawling installation infrastructure at the turn of the 1980s. This aerial perspective, prepared by the United States Geological Survey in cooperation with the Soil Conservation Service, reveals a landscape in transition from the agricultural grid of Cass County to the expanding suburban footprints of Grandview and Belton. While the northern boundary is defined by the Little Blue River, the southern reaches remain primarily rural, dotted with the small settlement of Jaudon. The map overlays 1953 land lines onto 1980 imagery, providing a rare hybrid view of property boundaries and section lines against the actual visible development of communities like Belvidere during the Cold War era.