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1964 Map of Vastus

Name: 1964 Topographic Map of Vastus
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1965
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1965

About this map

Vastus sits at the heart of this mid-1960s agricultural landscape, where the flat lowlands of Butler County meet the Arkansas border. The terrain is defined by an intricate network of drainage systems, including the Main Ditch, Stillcamp Ditch, and Ackerman Ditch, which converted these bottomlands into productive acreage. This engineering effort stands in contrast to the winding natural course of the Black River and Big Cane Creek at the southern edge of the survey area.

Local life revolves around a constellation of country churches and community centers like the Coon Island School and Coon Island Cemetery. The map captures a moment when rural Missouri was still anchored by these neighborhood institutions, from Conley Grove Church in the north to Friendship Church near Allred Lake. For those tracing family roots, the specific placement of names like Barks Church and El Bethel Church offers precise geographic context for the region's mid-century social fabric.