1941 Map of Big Piney

About this map

Fort Leonard Wood and the Leonard Wood Military Reservation dominate the northern landscape of this Ozark survey, reflecting the rapid military expansion just before the United States entered World War II. The terrain is defined by the winding course of the Big Piney River and Roubidoux Creek, where pocket eddies and springs like Slabtown Spring provided water for early hilltop settlements. This era shows a dense network of rural infrastructure within the Mark Twain National Forest, including numerous family-named schools such as Rollingheath Sch and Haley Bend Sch. The presence of the Cook Cem and small communities like Bloodland and Evening Shade offers a detailed view of the homesteads and crossroads that existed before the full consolidation of the military training grounds.