1954 Map of Drew

About this map

The Gasconade River and the Osage Fork wind through this mid-century landscape in Laclede County, marking a terrain defined by deep hollows and creek drainage. Within the Mark Twain National Forest, small rural communities such as Drew and Jacksonville are documented alongside specialized local commerce at Meeks Store. The map illustrates a high density of mid-20th-century rural infrastructure, particularly a series of one-room schools like Heard School, Franklin School, and Harmony School that served these isolated river-valley settlements. For genealogical researchers, the inclusion of family-named landmarks such as Heard Cemetery, Hamilton Cemetery, and Bohannon Cemetery provides precise locations for ancestral homesteads. Notable natural features like Blue Spring, Maybell Spring, and the distinctive Panther Cave highlight the karst topography characteristic of the Missouri Ozarks during this era of field survey.