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1951 Map of De Soto

Name: 1951 Topographic Map of De Soto
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1967
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1967

About this map

The Sunflower Ordnance Works dominates the western landscape of this mid-century survey, reflecting the industrial footprint of a major World War II-era manufacturing site. Located near the settlement of Sunflower, the facility connects to the broader region via the Atchison Topeka and Santa Fe and Pacific railroads, which parallel the winding Kansas River. The map captures a transition from heavy industry to a rural community network of one-room schoolhouses and country churches.

Genealogists and local researchers can locate numerous family-oriented landmarks, including the De Soto Cem and Murphy Cem. The educational landscape of the early 1950s is remarkably well-preserved here, showing the distribution of local institutions like Willow Springs Sch, Weaverly Sch, and Moonlight Sch. These sites, along with the Bethel Ch, illustrate the social fabric of Lexington and Monticello townships before modern suburban expansion reshaped Johnson County.