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2016 Map of Bear Branch

Name: 2016 Topographic Map of Bear Branch
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 2016
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 2016

About this map

Laughery Creek and its many tributaries, including South Fork Laughery Creek and Bear Creek, define the complex topography of this corner of Southeastern Indiana. The settlement pattern is characterized by ridge-top hamlets and crossroads, most notably Farmers Retreat in the north and Bear Branch further south. These small communities are tethered together by a network of winding roads like Mexico Ridge Rd and Milton Bear Branch Rd that follow the natural contours of the land.

Genealogists will find a high density of small family and community burial grounds, such as Saint Johns Cem, Mount Hebron Cem, and Cooper Cem. The map captures the meeting of three counties—Ripley, Dearborn, and Ohio—near the village of Milton. This 2016 data also reflects more modern local landmarks like Lost Bridge and Daniel D Bray Lake, documenting how the rural landscape has been shaped by both historical settlement and contemporary water management.