1940 Map of Woodson

About this map

The Arkansas River meanders through this portion of Pulaski County during the late 1930s, shaping a landscape defined by complex bayous and oxbow lakes. The Missouri Pacific railroad serves as the primary inland corridor, connecting the settlements of Wrightsville, Woodson, and Hensley. This survey, conducted as part of a Works Projects Administration effort, reveals a community structured around rural institutions, featuring numerous congregations such as Virginia Ch, Do Right Ch, and Cephas Ch. The presence of the State Industrial School near Fourche Bayou and the Nelson Sch further east highlights the era’s educational and social infrastructure. Water dominates the eastern half of the map, where the Old River Lake and Pennington Bayou frame the low-lying bottomlands, while the western side is marked by the expansive Big Lake and the winding Lorance Cr.