1976 Map of Shirley

About this map

The Middle Fork Little Red River carves a winding path through the timbered hills of Van Buren County, anchoring the small community of Shirley near its banks. This 1976 orthophotoquad, produced by the Geological Survey in cooperation with the Soil Conservation Service, uses aerial photography to show the exact land-use patterns of the mid-1970s. The image reveals a landscape defined by sharp elevation changes and deep valleys, where small clearings and homesteads like Rushing are scattered along the ridgelines and creek bottoms. For the local historian, the photographic nature of this map provides a distinct view of the road network and field boundaries as they existed just before the turn of the century, documenting the footprint of these Ozark foothills settlements at a precise moment in time.