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1956 Map of Cambridge

Name: 1956 Topographic Map of Cambridge
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1957
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1957

About this map

The Missouri River and its tributary, the Chariton River, define this landscape at the intersection of Chariton and Saline Counties. The map documents a complex hydrological environment where the Old Channel Chariton River winds through the bottomlands alongside artificial interventions like the Levee, Hayes Cutoff, and Big Cutoff. These engineering efforts highlight the era's focus on managing floodplains for agriculture, leaving behind oxbows like Smith Lake and Whiteside Lake.

On higher ground, small rural communities and family landmarks anchor the map. The settlement of Cambridge and its associated Cambridge Cem sit near the river bluffs, while the interior is dotted with country institutions including Asbury Ch, Elm Ridge Ch, and Vance Sch. Numerous small burial grounds, such as Aholt Cem, Henning Cem, and Shulte Cem, provide specific points of interest for genealogists tracing families in the Keytesville and Bowling Green townships.