1953 Map of Malta Bend

About this map

Malta Bend serves as the focal point for this mid-century portrait of Saline County, Missouri, situated just south of the Missouri River and along the vital Missouri Pacific railroad line. The landscape is characterized by its drainage into the Salt Fork and Muddy Creek, reflecting a well-established rural community organized around traditional civic anchors. Genealogists will find a high concentration of burial grounds including Malta Bend Cem, Little Grove Cem, and St Marys Cem, alongside numerous country schools like Lincoln Sch and Central Sch that speak to the density of the agrarian population at the time. The mapping also reveals industrial and agricultural engineering, such as the Van Meter Ditch in the northern bottoms, highlighting the effort to manage the river's floodplain for cultivation.