1951 Map of Alton

About this map

The Ohio River dominates this mid-century landscape, carving a massive horseshoe bend that defines the boundary between Indiana and Kentucky. On the Indiana side, the small settlement of Alton sits near the confluence with the Little Blue River, while the fertile Bottom lands of the river bend are dotted with small family burial grounds like Barr Cem. Transportation patterns of the era are visible in the Boyer Ferry crossing, which provided a vital link between the rural uplands of Crawford and Meade counties. Further south in Kentucky, the community centers around institutional landmarks such as St Theresa Academy and Sacred Heart Ch. The map captures a transition from the river-dependent economies of the past toward a more terrestrial infrastructure, documented by the intersection of the Second Principal Meridian and numerous localized schools and churches serving these riverside townships.