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1930 Map of Coldwater

Name: 1930 Topographic Map of Coldwater
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1951
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1951

About this map

The Saint Francois National Forest dominates this Ozark landscape, where early 20th-century life centered on the river forks and mountain hollows. Along the St Francis River, travelers navigated numerous crossings such as Wide Ford and Shelton Ford, while the surrounding timberlands were dotted with small, family-centric settlements like French Mills and Lodi. The map reveals a highly localized social infrastructure, with schools such as King Sch and Paullus Sch serving isolated rural communities.

In the eastern sections, the drainage of Twelvemile Creek and Big Creek supported hubs like Coldwater and Gravelton. The reliance on local commerce is evident through landmarks like Chubb Store and Twelvemile Store. For genealogists, the inclusion of Rebelle Cem and numerous country churches like Zion Ch provides critical links to the pioneer families of Madison and Wayne counties during this era of deep-woods Missouri history.