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1946 Map of Fort Smith

Name: 1946 Topographic Map of Fort Smith
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1946
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1946

About this map

The Arkansas River serves as the central artery for this post-war landscape, winding through a complex intersection of the Ozark Mountains and the rising waters of mid-century hydroelectric projects. This 1946 compilation records the region as massive civil works began to reshape the river basins, noting Fort Gibson Reservoir as under construction and documenting Tenkiller Ferry Reservoir and Eufaula Lake. Major military installations dominate the terrain near the state border, specifically Camp Gruber Military Reservation and Camp Chaffee Military Reservation.

Infrastructure is well-defined by the reach of the St Louis-San Francisco RR and the Kansas City Southern Ry, which connect established centers like Muskogee and Fort Smith. Beyond the primary rail corridors, the map traces the deep interior of the Ozark National Forest and the Ouachita National Forest, while labeling the prominent ridges of Backbone Mountain and Cavanal Mountain that characterize the borderlands between Oklahoma and Arkansas.