1949 Map of Direct

About this map

The Red River creates a meandering border between Oklahoma and Texas, defining the social and economic geography of this territory in the late 1940s. On the Oklahoma side, the townships of Bennington and Hunter are dotted with small educational and religious centers such as Iron Stob School, Crowder Prairie School, and Good Springs Church. The landscape is etched by drainage systems like Whitegrass Creek and Lick Creek, which flow toward the river valley. South of the river in Fannin and Lamar Counties, Texas, the terrain transitions into the dense creek networks of Bois d'Arc Creek and Sanders Creek. Small agrarian settlements like Monkstown, Riverby, and Direct serve as local hubs, while several burial grounds, including Forest Grove Cem and Arch Chapel Cem, offer critical data points for genealogical research into the region's early families.