1954 Map of Jefferson City

About this map

The Missouri River carves the northern boundary of this central Missouri landscape, where the state capital of Jefferson City serves as a hub for the region's mid-century river-and-rail commerce. To the west, the major rail junction of Sedalia stands near Sedalia AAF, reflecting the area's strategic transportation importance just after the war. The southern reaches of the map are dominated by the winding fingers of the Lake of the Ozarks, a massive reservoir created by the damming of the Osage River. This survey reveals the transition from the flatter agricultural lands of Pettis County to the more dissected terrain around the Niangua River and Gasconade River. Smaller agricultural communities like Tipton, California, and Versailles are linked by a dense network of roads and the tracks of the Missouri Pacific RR, illustrating the deeply integrated rural economy of the 1950s.