1971 Map of Hugo Dam

About this map

The Kiamichi River valley undergoes a massive transformation in this early 1970s survey, dominated by the Hugo Dam Under Construction near Sawyer. Blue hatching across the terrain indicates the vast areas of the river bottoms and tributaries like Long Creek and Salt Creek destined to be submerged by Hugo Lake. This transition from riverine woodland to a massive reservoir is captured at its midpoint, showing established communities and family landmarks before the waters rose. Genealogy researchers can find the Messer Cem and Dixon Chapel Cem, along with the Trinity Ch near Messer. The infrastructure of Hugo is visible in the southwest, including the Hospital, Nash Airport, and the St Louis-San Francisco railroad line which borders the southern edge of the new dam site.