1929 Map of Des Arc

About this map

Annapolis and Des Arc anchor this corner of the Ozark foothills, where the Missouri Pacific railroad winds through the valley of the Black River. The landscape is a network of small, isolated valley settlements and upland forests, much of which is captured within the Clark National Forest. The map reveals a dense rural infrastructure of one-room schoolhouses and community landmarks such as Glover Sch, Crane Pond Sch, and Emilys Chapel, reflecting the localized social life of the late 1920s. In the southeast, the terrain rises toward Mudlick Mtn within the early boundaries of Sam A Baker State Park. The drainage patterns of Big Creek and Crane Pond Creek define the ridges and hollows, illustrating the topographic constraints on transport and agriculture in the Iron and Wayne County borderlands.