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1951 Map of South Fort Smith

Name: 1951 Topographic Map of South Fort Smith
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1951
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1951

About this map

Industrial and educational sites anchor this mid-century survey of the Arkansas-Oklahoma border. The city of Fort Smith extends southward into a landscape of specialized production and religious community, featuring a Zinc Smelter, a Saw Mill, and a Powder Mill. Education is well-represented by institutions like St Scholastica Academy and smaller rural facilities including Peno School and Dunbar School.

The physical geography is defined by the winding Arkansas River and Poteau River, which separate the river-bottom lands of Paw Paw Bend from the more mountainous terrain to the south. Transportation networks are dominated by the Kansas City Southern and St Louis San Francisco railroads, which served the regional economy as it shifted from agriculture to industry. Local landmarks like White Bluff Church and the Baily Hill Reservoir provide precise points for genealogical and historical research in the border communities of Arkoma and Pocola.