1935 Map of Powhatan

About this map

The Black River and Spring River converge in this mid-1930s landscape, defining the transition between the Ozark foothills and the Mississippi Alluvial Plain. The historic river town of Powhatan sits prominently near the confluence, serving as a focal point alongside Black Rock and Portia. The transportation network of the era is remarkably detailed, showing the St Louis San Francisco Railroad crossing the rivers and various river crossings like Gibson Ferry and Scotts Ferry still in use before modern bridging. For genealogists, the map is a dense record of rural social centers, documenting combined institutions such as Fairview Sch & Cem and Lauderdale Ch Sch & Cem. The varied terrain includes the prominent Escarpment rising above the bottomlands, where numerous oxbows like Horseshoe Lake and Round Lake reveal the changing path of the rivers over time.