1952 Map of Doddridge

About this map

Kelly Bayou and its many tributaries, including the East Fork Kelly Bayou and West Fork Kelly Bayou, define the landscape of the Arkansas-Louisiana borderlands in this early 1950s survey. The area exhibits a rural settlement pattern centered on the town of Doddridge and several smaller communities such as Brightstar and Kiblah. Industrial activity is evident near the southern border at Ida, where an Oil Refinery and Oil Tanks sit adjacent to the Texas and Pacific railroad tracks. This rail line serves as a primary transit corridor through the valley. Local life is anchored by numerous country churches and burial grounds, including Mt Pleasant Ch, Evergreen Ch, and the Sulphur Fork Cem. The terrain is marked by the Sulphur hills, dissected by numerous small branches like Day Branch and Pill Branch, reflecting the region's complex drainage system before modern development.