1915 Map of Crystal City

About this map

Crystal City and Festus stand as the primary industrial and population centers along the Joachim Creek corridor during this 1915 survey. The map details a landscape defined by its extractive industries and complex transportation network, featuring several major rail lines including the St Louis Iron Mountain and Southern RR and the St Louis San Francisco RR. To the south, Valles Mines serves as a reminder of the region's lead mining heritage, while rural life is marked by a dense distribution of one-room schoolhouses like Telegraph School and Saltpeter School. The Mississippi River corridor is particularly intricate here, showing substantial river islands such as Harlow Island and Calico Island alongside active riverboat points like Kemper Ldg. This period illustrates the peak of the local rail-and-river economy before the widespread expansion of modern highways changed the rural character of Jefferson County.