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1935 Map of Red Fork

Name: 1935 Topographic Map of Red Fork
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1946
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1946

About this map

The Arkansas River dominates this mid-1930s landscape, its serpentine path defining the borders of Desha, Lincoln, and Arkansas counties. The river's dynamics are captured through numerous named bends and reaches, such as Almond Bend and Fletcher Bend, while abandoned meanders form oxbows like Silver Lake and Lake Dumond. This era reflects a period of intensive flood control following the Flood Control Act of 1935, visible in the levee systems and revetments that line the riverbanks.

Settlement patterns follow the Missouri Pacific railroad line, which connects towns like Dumas, Winchester, and Rohwer in the south. The interior is characterized by a dense network of bayous, including Amos Bayou and Oakwood Bayou, which drain the low-lying Delta terrain. Cultural markers like the Indian Mound near Merrisach Lake and the river-dependent industry at Medford Crossing provide a view into the region's long-term human history and the river-and-rail economy of the day.