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1887 Map of Mound City

Name: 1887 Topographic Map of Mound City
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1887
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1887

About this map

Marais Des Cygnes or Osage River defines the central drainage of this late nineteenth-century landscape, winding through a series of established townships in eastern Kansas. This survey, conducted just years after the frontier era, shows a transition from river-dependent settlements like Trading Post to booming rail towns. The Kansas City Fort Scott and Gulf Railroad acts as the primary north-south artery, connecting La Cygne, Pleasanton, and Prescott.

Genealogists will find a dense network of smaller communities and post offices, many of which were vital rural hubs before modern consolidation. Locations such as Wall Street, Farlinville, and Fontana are clearly marked alongside topographic features like Blue Mound. The intersection of the St Louis Emporia and Western Railroad at Mound City illustrates the competitive era of Western rail expansion, when local economies were tied to the proximity of the steel rail.