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1899 Map of Poteau Mountain

Name: 1899 Topographic Map of Poteau Mountain
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1908
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1908

About this map

Poteau Mountain and the surrounding Ouachita highlands defined the borderlands of Scott and Polk counties during this late 19th-century survey. The terrain is characterized by massive east-west ridges including Black Fork Mountain and Rich Mountain, which served as formidable barriers to early transit. Settlement was concentrated in the more accessible valleys near Waldron and Dallas, where community life was anchored by remote post offices such as Cherry Hill (Egger P.O.).

A notable historical transit feature is the Tan-A-Hill Trail, winding through the Fourche and Mountain districts. The map documents the intricate drainage systems of the Poteau River and Quachita River, illustrating how topography dictated the early road networks and settlement patterns in the Indian Territory Arkansas frontier. Natural passages like Foran Gap and Lookout Gap were critical waypoints for those traversing these high ridges.