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1939 Map of Lees Summit

Name: 1939 Topographic Map of Lees Summit
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1939
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1939

About this map

The Little Blue River winds through the rural heart of Jackson County, anchoring a landscape defined by small agrarian communities and a dense network of one-room schoolhouses like Stony Point Sch and Oakland Sch. As the 1930s drew to a close, the Chicago Rock Island and Pacific railroad served as the primary industrial artery, connecting the established center of Lees Summit with outlying settlements like Knobtown, Vale, and South Lee.

Evidence of early aviation and institutional history is preserved here, from the Gregory Landing Field in the northwest to the County Home further east. Spiritual life is marked by landmarks such as the Basonia Ch and the prominent Unity Tower, while the surrounding terrain is etched with family-named roadways including Gregory Road and Bannister Road. This survey documents a transitional era before the suburban expansion of Kansas City transformed these quiet prairie townships.