 An early map locating Fayetteville. |
In his Map of the British Empire in America with the French and Spanish settlements adjacent thereto, cartographer Henry Popple showed the region of the French Louisiana as it appeared in 1733. Popple undertook the map for the English Lords Commissioners of Trade and Plantations and had it reviewed by Dr. Edmond Halley, professor of astronomy in "ye University of Oxford."
Halley, for whom Halley's Comet is named, wrote of Popple's map: "I have seen the abovementioned Map, which as far as I am Judge, seems to have been laid down with great Accuracy, and to shew the Position of the different Provinces and Islands in that part of the Globe more truly than any yet Extant. Edm. Halley."
Although accurate for its time, the map has shortcomings where the Riviere des Arkansas and other geographic features of northern Arkansas are concerned. The Arkansas River flows westerly to Colorado rather than northerly to Missouri. The lowest of the four latitude lines shown is the 36th parallel. Present-day Fayetteville is just slightly north of that latitude, so many of the elements of the map are skewed farther north than they should be. However, Popple does show a mountain range between the Arkansas and Missouri rivers that may represent the Ozarks. And the map gives some relative clues about the aboriginal groups that existed in this region before American expansionism. The Ozages (Osages), Missouris and Cansa (Kansas) tribes are shown south of the Missouri River. The Kappa (Quapaw) and Paniassa are shown along the valley of the Arkansas River.
(The digital version of this map is from the David Rumsey Map Collection and is copyright © 2000 by Cartography Associates. Images may be reproduced or transmitted, but not for commercial use. For commercial use or commercial republication, contact [email protected]. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons License.)