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1947 Map of Gorham

Name: 1947 Topographic Map of Gorham
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1966
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1966

About this map

The Big Muddy River snakes through the bottomlands of Jackson County, carving a series of dramatic loops including Horseshoe Bend, Mill Bend, and Cripps Bend. This 1947 survey captures the intersection of heavy rail commerce and the natural landscape, where the Missouri Pacific and Illinois Central lines converge at Gorham. To the south, the timbered heights of Fountain Bluff overlook the flat expanse of Oakwood Bottoms, a terrain defined by drainage ditches like the Hay Glade Ditch and natural bayous.

Local history is preserved in the location of rural institutions such as the Hickory Ridge School and Fairview Ch, along with the Goodbread Cem and Hudson Cem. The map documents early transportation river crossings such as the Rattlesnake Ferry near the southern boundary. From the Fountain Bluff Lookout Tower to the small rail stop at Johns Spur, the sheet details a mid-century landscape where timber, transit, and river hydrology met.