1972 Map of Watts

About this map

Kansas City Southern rails cut a direct path through the heart of the Arkansas-Oklahoma borderlands in the early 1970s, anchoring the small settlements of Watts and Westville. The landscape is defined by the winding course of the Illinois River and the sprawling waters of Lake Frances, where the river crosses the state line. Topographic elevations rise toward Mission Mountain and Bates Mountain, overlooking a terrain dotted with rural spiritual and community centers such as Colony Community Ch and Nicodemus Community Ch. Local history is preserved in several family and community burial grounds, including Sixkiller Cem and Watts Cem, which mark the generational ties of this border region. The presence of a Gravel Pit and various springs like Peacheater Creek suggest a landscape shaped by both small-scale industry and the natural drainage of the Ozark foothills.