1951 Map of Columbia Bottom

About this map

The confluence region of the Mississippi River and Missouri River is captured here during a period of institutional and suburban expansion. While West Alton sits in the flood-prone northern neck, the higher ground south of the rivers features large civic and religious properties such as the St Louis State Training School, the City of St Louis Bellefontaine Farm, and the Villa Gesu Convent. This mid-century landscape is transitioning from rural farm tracts to organized residential developments like Glasgow Village. Local history is visible in the distribution of one-room schoolhouses like Pea Ridge Sch and Twillman Sch, alongside landmarks like Fort Bellefontaine. The industrial and transit character is defined by the complex river hydrology near the Chain of Rocks, where the Chain of Rocks Bridge and multiple rail lines, including the St Louis Waterworks RR, facilitate movement across the state line.