2017 Map of Metz

About this map

Little Osage River meanders across the northern portion of this Vernon County landscape, defining the topography near the community of Metz. The river is joined by several tributaries including Pryor Creek and Christian Creek, which cut through a grid of rural section roads. Further south, the Marmaton River flows near Dean Ford, showing the importance of these waterways to local geography. For genealogists, the map is remarkably dense with burial sites, including the Rinehart Cemetery near the settlement of Rinehart, as well as Balltown Cemetery, Summers Cemetery, and Temple Cemetery. The presence of features like Townsend Slough and Stultz Lake indicates a low-lying, water-rich environment that has historically influenced the placement of farms and travel routes between these scattered rural outposts.