1961 Map of Houston

About this map

The Arkansas River and its major southern tributary, the Fourche La Fave River, define this mid-century landscape in Perry County. The northern floodplain is dominated by the Morrilton Cutoff and expansive agricultural tracts like Sandtown Bottoms, while the central portion is dominated by the ridges of Toms Mountain and Perry Mountain. These natural barriers forced transportation corridors into tight valleys, notably the Chicago Rock Island and Pacific railroad, which links the settlements of Houston and Bigelow. For genealogists, the map preserves the locations of numerous family-named landmarks and rural burial grounds, including Leach Cem, Bland Cem, and May Cem. Industrial traces of the era are visible in scattered Gravel Pits and a Quarry near White Branch.