1887 Map of Harrisonville

About this map

Harrisonville and Pleasant Hill serve as the primary rail hubs in this late-19th-century study of the borderlands between Cass and Jackson counties. The landscape is defined by an intricate network of iron rails, including the Missouri Pacific Railroad and the Kansas City Clinton and Springfield Railroad, which dictated the growth of settlements like Lees Summit and Greenwood. Away from the main lines, smaller communities such as Peculiar, Lone Jack, and Garden City are established near vital water sources like the Grand River and Big Creek. The map documents a period of rapid westward expansion where the township system, clearly visible in the underlying grid, was being overlaid by the specific economic requirements of the steam era. Notable smaller stops and named locations such as Lone Tree, Gun City, and Ore provide specific points of interest for those tracing the development of Missouri's rural townships.