1962 Map of Smithland

About this map

The Rodessa Oil Field and numerous fossil fuel extraction points like the Gas Well in the northwest corner dominate the mid-century landscape of Marion County. Centered around the settlement of Smithland, the map reveals a dense network of country churches and family burial grounds, reflecting the deep-rooted community structure of the era. The southern portion of the sheet transitions into the swampy margins of Caddo Lake, where a complex system of waterways including Jenkins Slough, Patterson Slough, and Carters Chute surround Goat Island. Transport history is visible in the Old Railroad Grade cutting across the northeast, while the modern industrial footprint is marked by a pervasive network of pipelines crossing through the timber and creek bottoms of Kitchen Creek and Mill Creek.