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1940 Map of Noel

Name: 1940 Topographic Map of Noel
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1973
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1973

About this map

The Kansas City Southern Railroad serves as the industrial spine of this Ozark landscape, connecting the agricultural and timber hubs of Anderson, Goodman, and Lanagan. This 1940 survey reveals a region transitioning into a recreational destination, evidenced by the presence of the Riverside Inn and the subterranean attraction of Bluff Dwellers Cave near the Arkansas border. The terrain is deeply incised by the Elk River and its numerous tributaries, where a network of river crossings like Poole Ford and Meadors Ford maintained local connectivity before the modern highway system was fully realized.

Rural social life is anchored by a dense distribution of one-room schools and country churches, such as Banner Sch, Highland Sch, and Mt Carmel Ch. Local industry and land use are further marked by Coal Mine Hill in the northeast and Camp Tilsit near the bend of Sugar Creek. From the heights of Tatter Knob to the lowland settlements of Bosky Dell and Ginger Blue, this map documents the early 20th-century settlement patterns of McDonald County.