1940 Map of Vista

About this map

Sac River winds through the northwestern corner of this St. Clair County landscape, framed by the elevation of Shryers Bluff and the drainage of Coon Creek. In the years leading up to 1940, the area maintained a dense network of rural infrastructure, visible in the numerous country schools and churches that served the townships of Doyal, Washington, and Collins. The St Louis-San Francisco railroad cuts a diagonal path through the northeast, passing through the settlements of Vista and Tracy. Genealogists will find a wealth of specific landmarks, from Tower Grove Sch and Ashworth Sch to several family-named burial grounds like Doyal Cem and Culbertson Cem. The map illustrates a Missouri landscape before significant modern consolidation, where local life was still centered around small school districts and neighborhood churches like Valley Ch.