1926 Map of Des Arc

About this map

The Missouri Pacific railroad corridor dictates the settlement pattern of this Iron County landscape, threading through the narrow valleys of the St. Francois Mountains. In the mid-1920s, towns like Annapolis, Des Arc, and Glover serve as primary hubs along the tracks, supported by a dense network of rural schoolhouses such as Collins Sch and Sutton Sch that catered to remote timber and farming families. The terrain is defined by prominent peaks, including Grassy Mtn and Rubie Mtn, which rise sharply above the Black River and its numerous tributaries like Crane Pond Creek. This era reveals a transition toward conservation and recreation, evidenced by the early boundaries of Sam A Baker State Park and the varied creek-side settlements like Vulcan and Chloride. The map documents a rugged interior where social life centered on institutions like Emily's Chapel before modern highway development bypassed these mountain hollows.