Loading map...

1967 Map of Ballplay

Name: 1967 Topographic Map of Ballplay
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1987
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1987

About this map

The Coosa River meanders through the heart of this landscape, defining the boundary between Etowah and Cherokee counties. By the mid-1960s, the river’s character was fundamentally altered by the creation of H Neely Henry Lake, a major reservoir project by the Alabama Power Company that submerged former riverbanks. Despite this modernization, the map preserves the locations of traditional river crossings including Croft Ferry, Adams Ferry, Wagnon Ferry, and Baskin Ferry, reflecting a reliance on water transport that predated the impoundment.

Rural life centers on small settlements like Ballplay and Mayes Crossroad, alongside a dense network of country churches such as Sims Chapel and Macedonia Ch. To the northwest, the prominent Shinbone Ridge rises above the valley, while the presence of the Turkeytown Sch near the river bend points to the area's deeper heritage. The mapping also captures the natural topography of Pollard Bend and Coats Bend, where the river's loops create fertile pockets of bottomland.