1949 Map of Lees Summit

About this map

The Little Blue River carves a winding path through Jackson County, defining the rural character of this landscape in the years following World War II. While Lees Summit appears as a developing hub at the intersection of the Missouri Pacific and Chicago Rock Island and Pacific railroads, the surrounding townships are dotted with the essential markers of mid-century community life. Numerous country schools, including Stony Point Sch and Cedar Hill Sch, serve the outlying farmsteads, while the Floral Hills Cemetery and Gregory Landing Field indicate the encroaching influence of Kansas City from the northwest. Notable landmarks like the Unity Tower and the small settlement at Knobtown provide distinct navigational points in an area transitioning from purely agricultural use to a more connected suburban-rural fringe.