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1958 Map of El Dorado

Name: 1958 Topographic Map of El Dorado
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1958
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1958

About this map

The Ouachita and Saline river valleys dominate this mid-century look at Southern Arkansas and the Louisiana borderlands. This period saw the landscape defined by a mix of heavy timber industry, active rail corridors, and a massive defense presence at the U. S. Naval Ammunition Depot near Camden. Significant oil and gas development is reflected in the dense network of settlements like Smackover, Norphlet, and Louann, which grew during the regional petroleum booms.

Infrastructure is extensive, featuring major rail lines like the Missouri Pacific and St Louis Southwestern that connected agricultural and industrial hubs. Waterways such as Bayou Dorcheat and Champagnolle Creek wind through the lowlands toward the Red River, while larger bodies of water like Lake Erling serve as prominent landmarks. Smaller, established communities including Felsenthal, Stamps, and New Edinburg provide important touchpoints for family history research within the broader rural landscape of Union County and its neighbors.