1954 Map of Keo

About this map

Plum Bayou snakes through this low-lying agricultural landscape on the border of Lonoke and Pulaski Counties, defining the area's drainage and settlement patterns during the mid-20th century. The town of Keo serves as a local hub, situated where the St Louis Southwestern railroad tracks meet the winding turns of Morris Brake. This era shows a high density of rural community centers, with numerous country churches and chapels such as Paradise Church, Springfield Church, and Macedonia Chapel serving the surrounding family farms. The map illustrates the shifting nature of the Arkansas River floodplain, where oxbows and depressions like Ash Flat Lake, Clear Lake, and Cross Pond punctuate the grid of section lines and gravel roads. Scattered landings and small airstrips, including the Bredlow Landing Strip, reflect the region's reliance on both water and air for transport and crop dusting in this productive delta environment.