1967 Map of Ponca

About this map

The Buffalo River winds through a landscape defined by deep limestone bluffs and the steep ridges of the Ozarks in this 1967 survey. The settlement of Ponca serves as a focal point in the southwest, situated near the gateway to Lost Valley State Park and the rugged Leatherwood Creek. The map records the early years of the Buffalo National River designation, capturing a transition from agricultural use to federal preservation. High points like Sherman Mountain and Low Gap Mountain tower over the valley, while the presence of the Compton Lookout Tower and multiple mountain churches like Mountain Springs Ch and Phumlee Ch reflect a remote but established upland community. Small-scale mining and quarrying, indicated by Mines and a Quarry near Clark Creek, hint at the local extraction economy that predated the region's focus on conservation and tourism.