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1955 Map of Hurley

Name: 1955 Topographic Map of Hurley
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1957
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1957

About this map

The James River and Crane Creek define the geography of this mid-century Missouri landscape, where the town of Hurley serves as a central hub for the surrounding rural townships of Union, Lincoln, and Ponce de Leon. Small agricultural communities and family-named landmarks are scattered throughout the hilly terrain, including the uniquely named Possum Trot and Union City. The map reveals a deeply established social fabric evidenced by numerous country churches like Wright Chapel and Union Ridge Ch, along with family burial grounds such as Wright Cem and White Cem.

Tracing the waterways reveals a network of hollows and springs that likely supported local homesteads, including Old Stillhouse Spring and Lane Spring. Transport infrastructure of the era is preserved in landmarks like the Hootentown Bridge and McCall Bridge, while several caves such as Gideon Cave and Hooten Cave mark the underlying karst topography. This survey provides a clear look at the Ozark plateau before extensive modern development altered these traditional settlement patterns.