Loading map...

1950 Map of Mcalester

Name: 1950 Topographic Map of Mcalester
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1951
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1951

About this map

The ridge-and-valley topography of Southeast Oklahoma and Western Arkansas defines this mid-century survey, where the Kiamichi Mountain and Winding Stair Mountain ranges dominate the landscape. In the coal-rich region near McAlester, a dense network of mining towns including Alderson, Bache, Dow, and Haileyville follows the path of the Chicago Rock Island and Pacific RR. This rail corridor, alongside the St Louis-San Francisco Ry, facilitated the industrial transport of timber and minerals out of the Ouachita National Forest.

To the south, the terrain transitions into the coastal plain near the Red River border, centered on the lumber and agricultural hubs of Idabel and Broken Bow. The mapping captures a critical infrastructure era with US Highway 69 and US Highway 271 connecting the rugged interior. Significant water systems like the Kiamichi River and Little River wind through the valleys, illustrating the natural drainage patterns that dictated early settlement and railroad engineering.