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1959 Map of Blytheville

Name: 1959 Topographic Map of Blytheville
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1959
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1959

About this map

The Mississippi River creates a meandering border between the agricultural plains of Blytheville, Arkansas, and the river bluffs of West Tennessee. This mid-century survey reveals a region defined by its complex drainage systems, where the Hatchie River and its Hatchie Bottoms wetlands dominate the central interior. To the south, the expansion of Memphis is balanced by the industrial and military presence of the Milan Arsenal and the critical rail junctions at Jackson.

Preservation and history are central to this landscape, anchored by the Shiloh National Military Park in the southeast and the Fort Pillow State Prison along the river. Transportation networks show the era's reliance on both the Illinois Central railroad and evolving federal highways like U S 51. From the timberlands of Natchez Trace State Park and Forest to the cotton towns of Osceola and Ripley, the map documents a transition from river-based commerce to a consolidated rail and road economy.