2015 Map of Handy

About this map

The settlement of Handy sits at the intersection of several county roads in this portion of the Ozark Plateau, where the borders of Oregon, Carter, and Ripley counties meet. Much of the landscape is protected within the Mark Twain National Forest, characterized by an intricate network of hollows that speak to the area's pioneer history and local nomenclature, such as Stillhouse Hollow, Church House Hollow, and Buffalo Wallow. Water is a defining element of this terrain, with drainage moving through Big Barren Creek and Running Water Creek. The map documents several upland sinks and water sources, including Cupola Pond, McFarland Pond, and Spout Spring. For those tracing family history in the region, Bristol Cemetery provides a specific point of reference north of the main settlement. The abundance of named hollows like Bearpen and Deer Pond suggests a landscape long shaped by hunting and small-scale timber extraction.