1909 Map of Winding Stair

About this map

Heavener and Wister serve as major railway junctions in this detailed turn-of-the-century landscape, where the Chicago Rock Island and Pacific RR meets the Kansas City Southern RR. The region is defined by the parallel ridges of the Winding Stair Mountains and Kiamichi Mountain, which hem in the narrow valleys of the Poteau River and the Kiamichi River. Early 20th-century settlements like Le Flore, Whitesboro, and Muse are scattered along the riverbanks and rail sidings, reflecting a period when small-scale agriculture and the burgeoning timber industry within the Ouachita National Forest drove the local economy. The mapping also identifies numerous mountain passes and smaller peaks such as Quentin Peak and Wilton Mtn, providing a precise record of the terrain before later decades of development modified the southeastern Oklahoma wilderness.