1959 Map of Independence

About this map

The Verdigris River snakes through the eastern half of this Kansas landscape, defining the industrial and recreational character of Montgomery County in the late 1950s. The city of Independence serves as the focal point, showing a dense street grid supporting a multi-tiered education system that includes the High Sch and Jr College, Lincoln Sch, and Washington Sch. On the city's northern edge, Riverside Park and Calvary Cem overlook the river valley, while the local rail economy is evidenced by the crossing of the Atchison Topeka and Santa Fe and Missouri Pacific lines. Further south, the creation of Montgomery County State Park around Coal Creek reflects the mid-century development of public lands. A network of rural country schools, such as Maple Grove Sch and Forty Sch, indicates the enduring structure of the farming community surrounding the main settlement.