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1959 Map of Higdon

Name: 1959 Topographic Map of Higdon
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1960
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1960

About this map

The Castor River meanders through the heart of the Clark National Forest in this late 1950s survey of Madison County. The landscape is defined by the winding river valley and its numerous tributaries, including Turkey Creek, Saline Creek, and Spring Valley Creek. Local life at this time centered around small settlements and rural institutions like the Mt Gilead Ch and Spring Valley Ch. Evidence of the area's older social fabric is visible in the placement of the East Madison Sch and Underwood Sch, alongside family-named landmarks such as Hahns Mill and Peterman Cem.

The southwestern corner of the sheet features the Missouri Pacific railroad line passing through the settlement of Cornwall, where the Cornwall Ch and a local Gravel Pit indicate a modest industrial and community hub. This map captures the Ozark foothills at a moment when traditional river-valley agriculture and timber management within the National Forest Boundary shaped the local economy and settlement patterns.