1942 Map of Athens

About this map

Ouachita National Forest dominates this 1942 landscape, where the ridges of the Missouri Mountains and Cossatot Mountains define the settlement patterns of western Arkansas. Small rural communities like Athens and Big Fork are connected by a network of improved and unimproved roads, many following the natural contours of the terrain. The presence of several localized educational sites, such as Miller Sch, Pleasant Hill Sch, and Brushy Sch, suggests a series of self-sufficient mountain neighborhoods organized around one-room schoolhouses and family farms.