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1905 Map of Bonne Terre

Name: 1905 Topographic Map of Bonne Terre
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1932
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1932

About this map

The Missouri Lead Belt emerges during its industrial peak in this 1903 survey, centered on the mining and milling hubs of Bonne Terre and Flat River. The landscape is dominated by the complex hydrology of the Big River and its tributaries, which carved the terrain where towns like Leadwood, Desloge, and St Francois were established. These settlements were linked by a dense network of transit, including the Mississippi River and Bonne Terre RR and the St Louis Iron Mountain and Southern RR, facilitating the transport of minerals from this productive district.

In the southern reaches, more prominent peaks such as Hughes Mtn and Simms Mtn rise above the rail junction at Bismarck. The map provides an exceptionally detailed record of the smaller hamlets and rural stops that defined the early 20th-century economy, from the northern outpost at Cadet to the riverside community of Irondale. Local landmarks like Maryden, Loughboro, and Mineral Point reflect the scattered residential patterns of miners and farmers living within the shadow of the St. Francois Mountains.