In October 1831, Deputy Surveyor Nicholas Rightor and his crew set about surveying Washington County as part of a territorial survey of Arkansas. The survey was eventually accepted in 1833. Fayetteville is show near the middle of Township 16 North, Range 30 West. Its founding in what turned out to be Section 16, normally set aside for sale to raise money for schools, meant that an undeveloped section was instead sold for that purpose.
The dashed lines leading at angles away from Fayetteville represent four of the main roads noted by the surveyors. The one leading northwest loosely follows Mount Comfort Road, which turned north toward Elm Springs and Bentonville. The road leading to the northeast follows what today are Old Wire Road and Old Missouri Road. The road leading southeast follows Huntsville Road. And the road leading southwest follows present-day Cato Springs Road. The route of present-day U.S. 62 leading toward Farmington, Prairie Grove and Lincoln is hinted at the left side of the map where a feint dashed line leads west.
The map also notes mountains, creeks, the West Fork of the White River, occasional fields and areas that are either timber or prairie. On other maps of the survey, mills are also often noted. Larger views of the map can be examined among the General Land Office Records of the U.S. Bureau of Land Management.