1960 Map of Little Rock

About this map

The Ouachita Mountains dominate the western landscape of this mid-century survey, transitioning into the river plains toward Little Rock and Pine Bluff. This era shows a region in the midst of massive hydraulic engineering and military expansion, with the Little Rock Air Force Base and Camp Joseph T. Robinson established north of the capital. Major reservoirs like Lake Ouachita, Lake Hamilton, and Nimrod Lake have already reshaped the drainage of the Ouachita River and Fourche La Fave River, while the De Gray Reservoir appears as a planned or rising feature near Arkadelphia. The industrial footprint of the day is evident in the mining hub of Bauxite and the extensive rail networks of the Missouri Pacific and Chicago Rock Island and Pacific. These lines connect timber towns and agricultural centers such as Sheridan, Malvern, and Glenwood to the larger river economy of the Arkansas River.