1933 Map of St. Charles

About this map

The Mississippi River and Missouri River converge in this mid-century landscape, framing a dense network of islands, sloughs, and low-lying peninsulas like Pelican Island and Portage Island. The northern bluffs near Pere Marquette State Park and Grafton contrast sharply with the expansive floodplains of Portage Des Sioux and Orchard Farm. In the south, the transition from rural fields to early suburban development is evident around Florissant and Berkeley, where the footprint of Lambert Airport and the nearby Smart Airfield reflect the region's growing aviation significance. Local history is preserved through scattered rural identifiers such as the St Stanislaus Seminary, numerous one-room schoolhouses like Point Prairie Sch, and small rail stops along the Chicago Burlington and Quincy line. The map captures a hydraulic landscape before modern levee systems and development fully altered the natural drainage of features like Marais Temps Clair and Marais Croche.