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1967 Map of Ponca

Name: 1967 Topographic Map of Ponca
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1968
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1968

About this map

The Buffalo River carves a dramatic path through this section of the Ozarks, creating a landscape defined by sharp elevation changes and numerous bluffs such as Bee Bluff and Big Bluff. In the late 1960s, the settlement at Ponca and the adjacent Lost Valley State Park represent the intersection of local community life and emerging conservation efforts. The map reveals a network of dispersed homesteads and rural institutions, including Mountain Springs Ch and several small family cemeteries like McFerrin Cem.

High points such as Kilgore Mountain and Sherman Mountain dominate the terrain, while the Compton Lookout Tower provides a strategic vantage over the timbered ridges. Transportation is largely confined to winding hollows, with Jacksons Trail and various unimproved roads connecting isolated settlements like Beechwood and Mount Sherman. The economy of the era is reflected in small-scale extractive sites, including a Quarry and a Gravel Pit located near the river's edge.