Loading map...

1940 Map of Bonner Springs

Name: 1940 Topographic Map of Bonner Springs
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1940
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1940

About this map

The Kansas River and Missouri River converge near the eastern edge of this landscape, framing a region defined by fertile valleys and a dense network of early 20th-century rural infrastructure. This area, surveyed by E.J. Fennell and others, shows a transition from the structured agriculture of High Prairie to the bustling river-and-rail hubs of Bonner Springs and Edwardsville. The presence of State Prison Camp No 2 near the Missouri suggests the institutional history of the period, while numerous family-named landmarks like Williams, Hintt, and Pope indicate established landholdings.

Transportation is a central theme, with the Union Pacific and Atchison Topeka and Santa Fe railroads following the river bends. This connectivity supported a remarkable density of local institutions, evidenced by over twenty schools, including Coal Ridge Sch and Island Creek Sch, and social centers like the Elm Grove Community Hall. The map traces a landscape of small communities and crossroads such as Victory Junction and Holliday before modern suburban expansion.