1978 Map of Fort Smith

About this map

The Arkansas River corridor serves as the central artery for this late-1970s topographical study, connecting the industrial and transport hubs of Muskogee and Fort Smith. This era shows a landscape heavily influenced by mid-century water management and military activity, with the massive footprints of Eufaula Lake and Robert S. Kerr Lake dominating the river valley. To the north, the Boston Mountains and Ozark Plateau rise sharply, while the southern reaches are defined by the Sans Bois Mountains and Cavanal Mountain. Large-scale land use is evident at the Fort Chaffee Military Reservation and Camp Gruber Military Reservation. Transport networks are densely recorded, including the Missouri Pacific RR and St. Louis-San Francisco Ry lines that once anchored the regional economy through towns like Van Buren, Sallisaw, and Wagoner.