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1971 Map of Bennington

Name: 1971 Topographic Map of Bennington
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1988
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1988

About this map

The ridge-and-valley topography of Switzerland County is clearly defined on this survey, highlighting the complex drainage systems of Kentuck Creek and Brushy Fork. High ground is occupied by a network of long, winding ridges such as Caledonia Ridge and Vernon Ridge, which serve as the primary corridors for early transportation and settlement. Rural life is anchored by small communities like Bennington, Moorefield, and Pleasant, each connected by a series of backroads often named for the terrain they traverse, including Vernon Ridge Road and Wolf Road.

Genealogists will find significant detail in the distribution of country churches and burial grounds, such as Macedonia Ch, Ebenezer Ch, and the Zion Cem. The map reveals how the landscape dictated the placement of these community centers, often situated at high points or road junctions like the Hope Chapel near the Jefferson County line. The transition from timbered slopes to cultivated ridge tops reflects the agricultural patterns of the late twentieth century.