1968 Map of Mill Spring

About this map

Mill Spring and Leeper serve as the primary focal points in this late 1960s study of the Black River valley in Wayne County. The landscape is defined by the sharp transition from the river bottomlands to the densely wooded ridges of the Mark Twain National Forest, where steep drainages like Mining Town Hollow and Stillhouse Hollow suggest a history of localized industry and settlement. The Missouri Pacific River railroad follows the winding river course, passing through the heart of these small communities. Family history is etched across the terrain in numerous burial sites, including the Leeper Cem, Bowles Cem, and Wormack Cem. From the heights of Bear Mtn and Bunkers Knob down to the unusual hydrological feature known as The Gulf, the map documents a rural Missouri landscape where life remained closely tied to the water and the timbered hills.