1924 Map of Hale

About this map

The Grand River carves a meandering path across this North Missouri landscape, defining the rural character of southeastern Livingston County and its neighbors. In the early 1920s, the region was a dense network of small school districts and country parishes, with local life centered around points like Avalon and Bedford. The map reveals a sophisticated transport system of the era, where the Wabash and Chicago Burlington and Quincy railroads intersected the river-fed terrain. Of particular interest to family historians are the numerous named schoolhouses, such as Morgan School, Asper School, and Hazel Green School, which served as the primary social anchors for the surrounding farmsteads. Near the confluence of the Grand and the Chariton River, the Sumner Ferry provides evidence of river crossings that persisted even as rail and improved roads began to dominate the Missouri interior.