1954 Map of Jacksonville

About this map

The expanding town of Jacksonville sits at the edge of the Bayou Meto basin in this mid-century survey, which reveals the transition from early urban development to the surrounding agricultural bottomlands. The landscape is defined by its complex drainage network, where Ink Bayou and Bakers Bayou meander through the low-lying terrain of Pulaski and Lonoke counties. Photorevisions from the 1970s show the growth of Jacksonville reaching toward Bayou Meto, while rural life remains centered around isolated landmarks like South Bend Church and Mt Ararat Church. The Chicago Rock Island and Pacific railroad cuts a straight line through the southern portion of the sheet, passing the small siding at Kerr. Several family and community burying grounds, including Johnson Cemetery and Lone Cypress Cemetery, are preserved among the woods and fields.