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1929 Map of Des Arc

Name: 1929 Topographic Map of Des Arc
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1929
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1929

About this map

Annapolis and Des Arc serve as central hubs in this late 1920s survey of the St. Francois Mountains region, where the Missouri Pacific railroad dictates the pattern of valley settlement. The rail line follows the winding course of the Black River valley, connecting timber and mining towns like Vulcan, Sabula, and Chloride. This period shows a landscape densely dotted with rural community centers, including Emily's Chapel and numerous country schools such as Glover Sch and Brunot Sch that supported isolated families in the hollows.

The topography is defined by prominent peaks and narrow valleys, with Grassy Mtn and Mudlick Mtn rising sharply above the waterways of Marble Creek and Big Creek. The map documents a network of named hollows, like Hackworth Hollow and Sutton Hollow, illustrating how the early 20th-century population utilized every accessible drainage for home sites and small-scale agriculture before the consolidation of these upland communities.