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1960 Map of Phelps

Name: 1960 Topographic Map of Phelps
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1978
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1978

About this map

The Sam Houston National Forest landscape is defined by the heavy timber and winding waterways of east Texas, where the Missouri Pacific railroad cuts a vital corridor through the woods. Settled communities like Phelps and Dodge serve as anchors in a region where several earlier locations are noted only by their historical footprints, including the Mt Moriah (Site) and Harmony (Site). The presence of the State Prison Farm (Wynne) in the southwest corner and scattered oil wells across the terrain illustrate the varied land use of Walker County during this era.

Local history is preserved in the numerous country churches and cemeteries that dot the forest clearings. Researchers can locate the Grant Colony Cem and Blackjack Cem, alongside congregational centers like New Zion Ch and Shiloh Ch. The intricate network of small streams, such as Winters Bayou and Phelps Creek, suggests the natural drainage patterns that shaped early homesteading and timber operations before modernized road networks like Four Notch Road were fully established.