1971 Map of Charter Oak

About this map

Charter Oak sits at the center of this agricultural landscape in Missouri’s Bootheel, a region defined by its intensive drainage and irrigation systems. The map illustrates a transition from the era of timber and rail to modern industrial farming, marked by the presence of an Old Railroad Grade and numerous agricultural wells scattered across Big Prairie and the Elk township. The community’s social fabric is anchored by rural institutions like Big Ridge Sch, Big Ridge Ch, and the Pilgrim Rest Ch, which serve the families working the fertile lands between the Little River and Otter Slough Ditch. Along the southern boundary near Simmons Cem, the transition between Stoddard and New Madrid counties is clearly delineated, showing a landscape almost entirely converted to productive use, including commercial Fish Ponds.