1939 Map of Refuge

About this map

The Mississippi River defines this landscape during a period of massive hydraulic engineering as seen through the Tarpley Cut-Off (1935) and Leland Cut-Off (1933). These man-made channels bypassed traditional bends like Miller Bend and Bachelor Bend, fundamentally altering the waterway to manage flooding. On the Mississippi side, the city of Greenville serves as a major hub, connected by the Yazoo and Mississippi Valley RR and the Yazoo River. The land is dotted with markers of deep history and community, from Indian Mounds near Metcalfe to local congregations at Macedonia Ch and Pilgrims Rest Ch. Across the river in Arkansas, the crescent of Lake Chicot remains as an oxbow remnant of the river's former path, surrounded by smaller settlements like Luna and Shives.