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1978 Map of Fort Smith

Name: 1978 Topographic Map of Fort Smith
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1979
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1979

About this map

Fort Smith sits at the vital confluence of the Arkansas River and Poteau River, serving as a regional anchor during this late 1970s era. The landscape is defined by the heavy infrastructure of the McClellan-Kerr Arkansas River Navigation System, featuring the W D Mayo Lock and Dam and Lock and Dam No 13. Significant land tracts are dedicated to conservation and defense, most notably the Fort Chaffee Military Reservation and the Sequoyah National Wildlife Refuge.

Cultural history is prominently marked at the Site of Old Fort Coffee and the Spiro Mound St Pk, reflecting a deep timeline of habitation along the river. Transportation networks including the Kansas City Southern and Missouri Pacific railroads connect industrial nodes like the western Gas Field and various strip mines to the urban centers of Van Buren and Sallisaw. High ridges like Backbone Mountain and the Sans Bois Mountains provide a dramatic backdrop to scattered rural landmarks like Maple Sch and Liberty Chapel.