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1939 Map of Readland

Name: 1939 Topographic Map of Readland
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1942
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1942

About this map

Mississippi River meanders define the landscape of this delta region, where Arkansas, Mississippi, and Louisiana meet. The 1939 survey captures a complex aqueous geography marked by engineered interventions like the Worthington Cut-Off 1933 and the ancient Grand Lake Cut-Off 1796-1817. These bypasses have left behind a series of oxbows and islands, including Island No 88 and the massive Cracraft Towhead. Along these shifting banks, a network of river landings such as Seven Oaks Ldg and Carriola Ldg supported the local economy.

Religious life and community infrastructure are densely mapped, revealing numerous small congregations like New Hope Ch, St Luke Ch, and Evening Star Ch. The distribution of schools like Senite Sch and Bloomfield Ch suggests a rural population deeply tied to the land. On the Arkansas side, the Missouri Pacific RR connects Readland and Arkla, while the Mississippi shore is dotted with settlements like Glen Allan and Chatham, which relied on the Lake Washington waterway and early utility lines from Miss Power and Light Co.