1894 Map of Burlington

About this map

The Neosho River and Marais des Cygnes Creek anchor this late-nineteenth-century survey of east-central Kansas, a landscape defined by its burgeoning rail network and agricultural townships. The town of Burlington serves as a central hub where the Missouri Kansas and Texas R. R. meets the A. T. and S. F. R. R. (Lawrence and Burlington Br.). This era saw the height of the steam rail system, with lines like the Mo. Pacif. R. R. (Kan. Neb. and Dak. Div.) and the Atchison Topeka and Santa Fe R. R. cutting across townships such as California and Pottawatomie. Smaller settlements like Arvonia, Ottumwa, and Agricola are meticulously recorded, showing their spatial relationship to the numerous watercourses like Long Creek and Eagle Creek. The map documents the intricate political boundaries of the time, including the convergence of Coffey, Lyon, and Osage counties.