1957 Map of Ashland

About this map

Ashland serves as a central hub in this mid-century survey of the North Louisiana hill country, situated where the Kansas City Southern railroad cuts through the terrain. The landscape is a transition between the dense timber of the Kisatchie National Forest and the agricultural openings of the Red River Valley. Evidence of earlier rural life is found in numerous defunct institutional sites, such as the New Hope Sch (Abandoned) and Iron Springs Sch (Abandoned), which appear alongside active community centers like Old Saline Ch and Ridge Ch. In the southern reaches of the map, the waters of Black Lake and Little Clear Lake mark the low-lying drainage basins of the Black Lake Bayou. The map also captures the local industrial footprint with the presence of an Oil Field and lookout towers like the Martin Lookout Tower, reflecting the regional reliance on forestry and mineral resources.