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1950 Map of Mulberry

Name: 1950 Topographic Map of Mulberry
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1950
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1950

About this map

Strip mines dominate the landscape across the Kansas and Missouri border, illustrating a region defined by mid-century industrial excavation. Centered on the town of Mulberry, the map reveals a dense network of extraction sites and rail spurs from the Missouri Pacific, Kansas City Southern, and St Louis-San Francisco railroads. These lines connect labor hubs like Arma, Franklin, and Croweburg, which grew to support the local coal economy.

The human geography of the 1940s is preserved through dozens of rural landmarks, including specialized educational sites like Coal Valley Sch and Breezy Hill Sch. Cultural centers such as McKill Chapel and numerous family or community burial grounds like Heaviside Cem and Shiloh Cem provide valuable touchpoints for genealogical research. The transition from active mining to agricultural use is evident in the pockets of undisturbed terrain near Dry Wood Creek and the localized mounds like Martin Mound and Blue Mound.