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1984 Map of Gieseck

Name: 1984 Topographic Map of Gieseck
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1985
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1985

About this map

The St Francis River and its complex network of oxbow lakes and bayous define this part of the Arkansas Delta in the mid-1980s. The landscape is a testament to the hydraulic engineering of the region, featuring intricate drainage systems like Blackfish Ditch No 1 and Little Blackfish Bayou alongside natural remnants such as Prophet Lake, Shaver Lake, and Walnut Timber Lake. Small agricultural settlements and community hubs are scattered throughout, including the corporate limits of Parkin, the map's namesake Gieseck, and the hamlets of Gladden and Midway.

Boundaries between Cross, Crittenden, and St. Francis counties intersect here, illustrating the political geography of this fertile bottomland. Local history is etched into the terrain through family-named features like Neelys Lake and Anderson Lake, while the presence of a Cem and various wells indicates the long-standing human footprint. The map captures a moment when the transition from river-dependent life to a modern irrigation and ditch-drained agricultural economy was fully established.