1973 Map of Durham

About this map

The White River carves a winding path through the Ozark highlands of Washington and Madison counties, anchoring the small settlements of Durham, Thompson, and Crosses during the early 1970s. The landscape is defined by its deep hollows and named peaks, including Chicken Bristle Mountain and Bushart Mountain, which provided the topographic isolation for numerous small community landmarks. Genealogists will find a cluster of burial grounds and rural houses of worship, such as Mt Olive Cem, Walnut Grove Cem, and Shumate Ch, scattered along the river's tributaries. The presence of a Pipeline and a Radio Tower on Hobbs Mountain indicate mid-century utility expansion into this terrain, while older names like Chicken Bristle Creek and Shaffer Bluff speak to the area's earlier settler history.