Loading map...

1953 Map of El Dorado

Name: 1953 Topographic Map of El Dorado
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1974
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1974

About this map

The Ouachita River and Saline River define the river-and-rail landscape of Southern Arkansas and Northern Louisiana in the mid-1950s. This survey highlights the significant industrial and military presence in the region, most notably the expansive U S Naval Ammunition Depot north of Camden. The road network is anchored by U S Highway 82, connecting the regional centers of El Dorado and Magnolia.

Rail transport remains central to the area's economy, with the Missouri Pacific and St Louis Southwestern lines intersecting at key junctions like Fordyce and Hope. Farther west, Millwood Lake and the Red River mark the transition toward the Texarkana borderlands. The map provides a detailed view of the Gulf Coastal Plain before later 20th-century development, documenting smaller timber and agricultural settlements such as Huttig, Stamps, and Waldo.