1939 Map of Big Island

About this map

The Arkansas River, White River, and Mississippi River converge in a complex hydraulic network defined by shifting bends and historical engineering. This 1939 survey, revised from Corps of Engineers data, captures the volatile nature of the delta before modern channel stabilization was complete. Visible features like the Napoleon Cut-Off 1863 and numerous oxbows such as Lake Concordia and Beulah Lake illustrate the river's restless history. On the Mississippi side, the town of Rosedale serves as a primary hub, while the Arkansas side is dominated by the Migratory Waterfowl Refuge and Big Island. Small settlements like Yancopin and Benzal sit along the Missouri Pacific railroad, which provided critical transit through this flood-prone landscape of cypress sloughs and bayous.