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1950 Map of Alton

Name: 1950 Topographic Map of Alton
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1962
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1962

About this map

The Ohio River winds through a complex boundary landscape where Indiana and Kentucky meet, defining the life and movement of mid-century river towns. Near the sharp river bends, the community of Alton sits at the mouth of the Little Blue River, while the Boyer Ferry across Bear Creek indicates the essential water-based transit of the era. The terrain is deeply incised by drainages like Watson Run and Little Oil Creek, creating a series of hollows and bottoms that dictated the placement of early homesteads and social centers.

Genealogists will find significant local landmarks such as St Theresa Academy and Stony Point Sch, alongside rural congregations at Sacred Heart Ch and Cross Roads Ch. The map identifies numerous small settlements including Magnet, Dexter, and Concordia, often located near significant river features like Flint Island or the broad Williams Bottom. These locations, combined with family-named sites like Stephenson Cem and Barr Cem, provide a clear picture of the dispersed but interconnected rural communities before the expansion of modern highway networks.