1945 Map of Vandalia

About this map

The Alton railroad corridor defines the development of this Missouri borderland where Ralls, Pike, and Audrain counties meet. In the mid-1940s, Vandalia serves as the primary hub, surrounded by a dense network of rural infrastructure including the Vandalia Cem and numerous family-named schools such as Madisonville Sch and Bridgewater Sch. The landscape is etched by the intricate drainage of the South Fork Spencer Creek and Peno Creek, which dictated the placement of early settlements like Frankford and Spencerburg.