1936 Map of Lake Village

About this map

Lake Village sits along the massive crescent of Chicot Lake, serving as a focal point for this 1930s Mississippi River Delta landscape. The area is defined by an intricate network of waterways, including Bayou Bartholomew and the Boeuf River, which snake through the low-lying agricultural terrain. The Missouri Pacific railroad lines and early highways, such as U S Highway No 65, dictate the placement of small settlements like Montrose, Jerome, and Boydell. The map captures a moment before modern drainage and flood control significantly altered the Delta's character, showing numerous sloughs and bayous like Black Pond Slough and Boggy Bayou that once dominated the rural geography. This survey provides a look at the transition from river-dependent life to a rail-and-road economy in southeastern Arkansas.