1918 Map of Columbus

About this map

Columbus serves as the focal point of this 1916 survey, a bustling rail hub where the Missouri Pacific, St. Louis San Francisco, and Missouri Kansas and Texas railroads converge. This transit network supported a landscape dotted with coal-mining settlements and dozens of small school districts, many named for local landmarks like the Lone Elm School or Center Star School. The terrain is defined by the headwaters of Fly Creek and Willow Creek, which wind through townships like Salamanca and Spring Valley.