Spring is closer than you think, and that means many of us thaw out, get out and travel the county roads in search of the smallest evidence of schools, churches, and homesteads long forgotten. If you are one of these travelers, you may be interested in a special map supplied by the Perry County Historical Society.

This Historical Inventory map of Perry County can direct you to long forgotten areas such as Birmingham, Corners, Giboney, or Seelitz.

Maybe you are looking for a common landing situated on the mighty Mississippi River such as Paul Landing, Linnhoff Landing, or Leimbach Landing.

Where is Boxdorfer school, Mokey school or Bess school? It’s all on the map and there were over 50 county schools located within the boundaries of Perry County. Each one was named after the landowner from whom the school land was acquired from or after the community which it was served.

Other such interesting areas are the locations of the Wilkinson Lead mines of 1827, Darrstadt, Rozier Valley Mill 1850 and McClain Mill 1820. If you would like to know the trail of the El Camino Real 1786 or the Cape Girardeau- Northern Railroad, it’s here. The foundation of many communities in our county were established by the churches. This map is a valuable resource of information concerning churches, cemeteries and historical buildings or structures. One of its features is the distinction of whether the structure is still standing or just the site of whether the structure is still standing or just the site of where it used to be.

So the next time you decide it’s a beautiful day to take a county drive be prepared, informed and educated about what you may or may not be seeing. This map may be the smallest bit of evidence you need to make your trip a memorable one. For more information or details on the Historical Inventory map contact the Perry County Historical Society.