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1889 Map of Lexington

Name: 1889 Topographic Map of Lexington
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1927
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1927

About this map

The Missouri River bisects this late 19th-century landscape, acting as both a barrier and a conduit for trade between the settlements of Lexington and Richmond. The river channel, based on 1879 surveys by the Engineer Corps U.S. Army, features prominent landmarks like Lexington Island and Wolf Island, which shaped the local ferry and steamboat traffic of the era. North of the river, a dense network of rail lines including the Chicago Santa Fe and St Louis Railroad and the Wabash Railroad facilitated the growth of towns like Hardin and Norborne.

South of the river, the terrain transitions into the rolling uplands of Lafayette County, where the Missouri Pacific Railroad Lexington Branch connects the river bluffs to inland agricultural hubs such as Higginsville and Aullville. Genealogists will find interest in localized post offices and small river landings, including Russelville Fox P.O. and Miles Point, which represent the early rural infrastructure of Missouri before the modernization of the state highway system.