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1927 Map of Shell Knob

Name: 1927 Topographic Map of Shell Knob
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1950
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1950

About this map

White River and its major tributaries, including the Kings River and James River, dominate this Missouri landscape as they appeared before the creation of modern reservoirs. The terrain is a complex network of high ridges like Shell Knob and Mineral Mountain, deeply incised by hollows and creek beds. This mid-century survey captures a rural Ozark economy reliant on river crossings, documented by numerous named fords such as Edwards Ford and Big Creek Ford, alongside the Schreiner Ferry.

Family and community history is preserved through an extensive network of small schoolhouses serving isolated hollows, including the Mountain Home School, Viola School, and McCandles School. Small settlements like Cape Fair and Golden serve as local hubs, while the map's topographic detail records the original paths of river bends and the location of Rockhouse Spring, providing a clear picture of the region's geography before significant 20th-century hydrological changes.