1944 Map of West Plains

About this map

West Plains serves as the focal point of this Ozark region, situated at the junction of the St Louis - San Francisco railroad. The 1940s landscape is densely marked by a network of rural schoolhouses and neighborhood churches, reflecting the localized social structure of Howell County before school consolidation. Notable institutions include the County Home and American Legion Field on the outskirts of the main settlement. Further south, the terrain follows the South Fork Spring River toward the Missouri-Arkansas border, where small crossroads like Moody and Lanton anchor the rural community. Genealogists will find significant value in the distribution of family-named landmarks and cemeteries, such as the Saddle Cem and Mc Elmerry Cem, which pinpoint early local burial sites and homesteads often missed by broader regional histories.