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1890 Map of Kansas City

Name: 1890 Topographic Map of Kansas City
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1890
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1890

About this map

Kansas City and the surrounding river bluffs are shown here during a period of massive railroad expansion in the late 1880s. The Missouri River anchors the geography, winding past numerous islands such as Kickapoo Island and Spar Island while separating the major centers of Leavenworth and Platte City. This survey, compiled from work by the Engineer Corps U.S. Army and the U.S. Geological Survey, captures the region before modern flood controls altered the river's path, notably around the Old Channel of Platte River.

Transport networks dominate the landscape, with the Union Pacific Railroad, Missouri Pacific Railroad, and the Atchison Topeka and Santa Fe Railroad converging on the river valley. Local history is preserved in smaller settlements like White Church, Waldron, and Iatan, alongside numerous creek systems like Wild Cat Branch and Little Jordan Br. that defined the early township boundaries of Wyandotte, Westport, and Quindaro.