1980 Map of Lurton

About this map

Lurton and Spence Junction serve as the primary human outposts in this 1980 survey of the Ozark highlands in Newton County. The landscape is defined by the heavy dissection of high ridges and plateaus, with notable summits like Hudson Mountain, Ketcherside Mtn, and the distinctive Sams Throne rising above the deep drainage basins. The settlement pattern follows the high ground of Tarlton Flats, where the Tarlton Cem preserves local family history near the headwaters of the Tilly Creek and Big Creek systems. Within the Ozark National Forest, the map details a complex network of hollows such as Boss Hollow, Cox Hollow, and Rock House Hollow, illustrating the difficult terrain that shaped early transportation and land use in this part of the Boston Mountains. State Routes 16 and 123 provide the main corridors through these remote reaches, connecting isolated knobs like Sassafras Knob to the broader regional network.