Karl Smith’s 1938 An historical and geographical map of Arkansas is a vibrant, story-filled panorama that blends artistry with keen historical observation. Pictorial vignettes animate cities and countryside alike, framed by an ornate decorative border that evokes the confident aesthetics of 1930s cartography. A handsome compass rose bearing the state seal anchors orientation, while the Arkansas state flag and the apple blossom—its official flower—punctuate the composition with emblematic pride. Among the illustrated views are the War Memorial Building in Little Rock and a charming scene labeled “Little Arkansas,” each rendered with affectionate detail. The result is a spirited synthesis of place and memory, capturing the state’s identity at a moment of self-reflection on the eve of sweeping twentieth-century change.

Smith’s map invites a long look at the deep historical layers beneath modern Arkansas. Indigenous settlements are carefully noted, acknowledging the Quapaw, Osage, Caddo, and the later presence of displaced Southeastern nations whose routes converge along marked historical trails, including paths associated with the Trail of Tears. A dramatic scene of De Soto situates the European incursion of the 1540s within this older landscape. Fort Smith, once a stern federal outpost on the western edge, speaks to frontier law and commerce, while Little Rock’s civic core foregrounds a maturing capital. Civil War echoes linger around Helena and the Camden country, where campaigns once surged. The War Memorial Building, commemorating Arkansans who served in World War I, bridges past conflicts with the civic memory of the interwar era.

Equally compelling is the map’s economic portrait of the late 1930s. Across the Delta, cotton rows and burgeoning rice fields radiate from towns like Jonesboro, Helena, and Blytheville, while timber belts sweep through Pine Bluff and Camden, signaling sawmills and paper works that fueled regional growth. In the south, El Dorado’s derricks recall the oil boom that reshaped Arkansas in the 1920s, and the central bauxite belt hints at the state’s strategic mineral wealth soon to matter on a national stage. Around Fort Smith and along the rail junctions near Texarkana, industry and transport hubs pulse with commerce. In the northwest, fruit orchards around Rogers and Fayetteville nod to earlier apple fortunes—an echo of the state flower—just as poultry and dairying ascend the hills.

Recreation and topography receive the same generous, human-scale attention. Hot Springs glints with bathhouses and promenades, emblematic of a leisure culture drawn to healing waters. The Ozarks around Fayetteville and Mountain Home and the Ouachitas near Hot Springs and Arkadelphia unfurl in wooded ridges, with anglers and canoeists scattered along the White, Arkansas, and Ouachita rivers. Trails thread through high country and bottomlands, presenting weekend rambles and CCC-era park improvements that defined outdoor life in the 1930s. A vignette of “Little Arkansas” offers an intimate pastoral counterpoint—riverbank, fields, and homestead—underscoring the state’s enduring relationship with its waterways and the restorative spaces between towns.

The cartouche of places reads like a who’s who of Arkansas civic life: Little Rock and North Little Rock on the Arkansas River; Fort Smith guarding the western gateway; Conway and Russellville marking a rising corridor; Fayetteville’s university culture; Searcy and Newport as White River market towns; Helena and Blytheville as Mississippi River ports; Hot Springs a resort magnet; El Dorado the oil capital; Camden and Pine Bluff rooted in timber and trade; Texarkana straddling rails and borders. Together they form a living network of work, worship, study, and song—blues drifting from Helena, courthouse squares buzzing elsewhere. Smith’s 1938 vision stands as a time capsule, historically significant for preserving Arkansas’s geography, memory, and momentum at the close of the New Deal decade.

Places on this map

• Little Rock
• Fort Smith
• Hot Springs
• Fayetteville
• Jonesboro
• Pine Bluff
• Camden
• Texarkana
• Conway
• North Little Rock
• Helena
• Blytheville
• Rogers
• El Dorado
• Arkadelphia
• Jacksonville
• Russellville
• Searcy
• Newport
• Mountain Home

Notable Features & Landmarks

• War Memorial Building
• Little Arkansas
• Indian settlements
• Historical trails
• Rivers
• Agricultural regions
• Industrial sites
• Landmarks depicted in illustrations
• Compass rose with the state seal
• The state flag and flower

Historical and design context

• Map Title: An historical and geographical map of Arkansas
• Creator: Karl Smith
• Year Created: 1938
• Map Type: Historically Informative Thematic and Pictorial Map
• Mapmaker Context: Karl Smith was known for his illustrative maps, often blending art with cartography to emphasize local culture and history.
• Themes shown on the map: Historical significance of locations
• Themes shown on the map: Agricultural and industrial profiles
• Themes shown on the map: Recreational activities and natural geography
• Themes shown on the map: Cultural symbols of Arkansas
• Countries/Regions Shown: United States, specifically focusing on the state of Arkansas
• Design Style: Pictorial elements with an ornate decorative border, vibrant illustrations, and a vintage aesthetic typical of 1930s cartography
• Historical Significance: Captures the essence of Arkansas in the late 1930s, documenting its historical narrative and geographical features as they were understood during that time

Please double check the images to make sure that a specific town or place is shown on this map. You can also get in touch and ask us to check the map for you.

This map looks great at every size, but I always recommend going for a larger size if you have space. That way you can easily make out all of the details.

This map looks amazing at sizes all the way up to 70in (180cm). If you are looking for a larger map, please get in touch.

The model in the listing images is holding the 16x20in (40x50cm) version of this map.

The fifth listing image shows an example of my map personalisation service.

If you’re looking for something slightly different, check out my collection of the best old maps to see if something else catches your eye.

Please contact me to check if a certain location, landmark or feature is shown on this map.

This would make a wonderful birthday, Christmas, Father's Day, work leaving, anniversary or housewarming gift for someone from the areas covered by this map.

This map is available as a giclée print on acid free archival matte paper, or you can buy it framed. The frame is a nice, simple black frame that suits most aesthetics. Please get in touch if you'd like a different frame colour or material. My frames are glazed with super-clear museum-grade acrylic (perspex/acrylite), which is significantly less reflective than glass, safer, and will always arrive in perfect condition.

This map is also available as a float framed canvas, sometimes known as a shadow gap framed canvas or canvas floater. The map is printed on artist's cotton canvas and then stretched over a handmade box frame. We then "float" the canvas inside a wooden frame, which is available in a range of colours (black, dark brown, oak, antique gold and white). This is a wonderful way to present a map without glazing in front. See some examples of float framed canvas maps and explore the differences between my different finishes.

For something truly unique, this map is also available in "Unique 3D", our trademarked process that dramatically transforms the map so that it has a wonderful sense of depth. We combine the original map with detailed topography and elevation data, so that mountains and the terrain really "pop". For more info and examples of 3D maps, check my Unique 3D page.