1954 Map of Jacksonville

About this map

Jacksonville sits at the northwestern edge of this mid-century landscape, where the rising suburban development of the post-war era meets the winding drainages of the Bayou Meto basin. The area is defined by a intricate network of waterways and lowlands, including Lone Cypress Brake, Hill Lake, and the engineered expanse of Shuffield Lake. Transportation patterns of the era are clearly visible, with the Chicago Rock Island and Pacific railroad bisecting the terrain and the historic Old Military Road cutting across the northern reaches. For genealogists and local historians, the sheet is exceptionally detailed in its placement of rural community anchors. Numerous churches such as South Bend Church and St Paul Church are noted, alongside family-named sites like McGraw Cemetery and Ellis Cemetery. The presence of several ruins and the Drive-in Theater reflects the shifting cultural and physical landscape of central Arkansas during the 1950s.