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1949 Map of Mendon

Name: 1949 Topographic Map of Mendon
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1949
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1949

About this map

Swan Lake National Wildlife Refuge dominates the northern landscape of this Chariton County survey, revealing a complex system of levees and wetlands surrounding Swan Lake and Silver Lake. The map details a vital mid-century transportation corridor where the Wabash and Atchison Topeka and Santa Fe railroads intersect near Whitham. This rail infrastructure supported a network of small rural hubs, including the town of Mendon and the dual-named settlement of Dean Lake Snyder P O.

Genealogists can find several family-named landmarks and community centers that anchored the era's rural life, such as Stephenson Sch and the Stephenson Cem in the west, and Jackson Cem near Salt Creek. The terrain is characterized by the low-lying bottoms of Yellow Creek and Elk Creek, protected by extensive levee systems, with Hog Ridge providing one of the few points of elevated ground in the marshy northern reaches.