1940 Map of Gainesville

About this map

Crowley Ridge bisects this landscape, separating the intricate drainage network of the Cache River lowlands from the higher ground near Paragould. In the years leading up to the war, this section of Northeast Arkansas was a dense grid of rural schools and small churches, such as Croft Academy, Evening Star Sch, and Warren Chapel & Cem. The map reveals the extensive engineering required to manage the wetlands, shown through a system of numbered laterals and major cuts like Big Canal and Petersburg Ditch. These drainage projects allowed for the expansion of settlements like Delaplaine and Beech Grove along the St Louis Southwestern Ry. On the ridge itself, Crowley Ridge State Park appears near Walcott, while several cemeteries like Linwood Cem and Finch Cem provide vital clues for family historians tracing early residents in Greene County.