2015 Map of Morley

About this map

Benton Ridge and the Scott County Hills rise above the alluvial landscape of Scott County in this 2015 study of the Bootheel region. The map documents a cluster of established communities including Benton, Morley, Blodgett, and Haywood City, connected by a network of drainage systems like the Saint Johns Ditch and Blue Ditch. These artificial waterways represent the engineering history of the region, which transformed low-lying terrain into productive agricultural land. Genealogists will find exceptional value in the density of burial sites recorded here, from Saint Denis Cemetery in the north to the New Morley Cemetery and Blodgett Cemetery further south. The transition from the elevated Scott County Hills down to the flat, ditched plains highlights the geological diversity that has dictated settlement patterns and land use in this part of Missouri for generations.