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1954 Map of Springfield

Name: 1954 Topographic Map of Springfield
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1972
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1972

About this map

The Ozark Plateau dominates this mid-century landscape, characterized by a complex network of river systems and the expansion of post-war infrastructure. Springfield serves as the regional hub, where Southwest Missouri State College and Drury College are established institutional anchors alongside the Greene County Courthouse. The transportation network is defined by the heavy presence of the St Louis-San Francisco RR and Us 66, reflecting the era's reliance on both rail and the burgeoning highway system for Missouri's commerce and travel.

Military and conservation footprints are significant, with the sprawling Fort Leonard Wood Military Reservation to the east and the protected acreage of the Mark Twain National Forest. The map documents the development of major water projects like the Stockton Reservoir and Harry S Truman Reservoir, which began altering the natural flow of the Sac River and Osage River. For the local historian, smaller details like Wilson's Creek Battlefield National Park and numerous rural burial grounds, including Old Pioneer Cem and Catholic Cem, provide specific points of interest across the rural counties.