1890 Map of Fort Smith

About this map

Fort Smith and Van Buren serve as the primary hubs on this late 19th-century survey, situated at a vital convergence of the Arkansas River and several emerging rail lines. The map documents a critical period of western expansion where the boundaries of Sebastian and Crawford counties meet the Indian Territory border, featuring the Cherokee Nation and Choctaw Nation to the west. This frontier landscape is characterized by a series of prominent ridges, including Backbone Mountain and the White Oak Mountains, which dictated the early movement of settlers and the placement of remote outposts.