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1951 Map of Belleville

Name: 1951 Topographic Map of Belleville
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1951
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1951

About this map

Belleville and its surrounding hollows are defined by an intricate network of family homesteads and community landmarks situated where the borders of Lincoln, Marshall, Bedford, and Moore counties converge. This mid-century landscape is marked by a high density of rural burial grounds, including the Conwell Cem, Sorrells Cem, and Bledsoe Cem, suggesting a long-established ancestral presence in the valleys of Norris Creek and Mulberry Creek.

Major ridges like Elk Ridge and Chestnut Ridge dictate the flow of travel, which centers on the Florida Short Route. The social geography of the era is anchored by numerous country churches, such as Oak Hill Ch, Concord Ch, and Hickory Hill Church, which served the scattered residents of the steep terrain. These elevations are broken by narrow passages like The Narrows and Hannah Gap, which historically funneled local movement through the dissected hills.