Very sloppy writing - looks like a piece slapped together to meet a deadline.
While boondocks may have originated from Tagalag, by 1960 it was in common civilian usage, at least where I grew up in Minnesota. Even generated a hit single for Billy Joe Royal in 1965. Boondocks, often shortened to boonies, was common vernacular for out of the way, neglected, seldom visited regions. It didn't even have to be rural; urban regions could also have fringe boonie regions; seldom visited, and always neglected and disregarded (along with the inhabitants).