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1957 Map of Benton

Name: 1957 Topographic Map of Benton
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1958
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1958

About this map

The Alabama River winds through the heart of this Central Alabama landscape, defining the borders between Dallas, Lowndes, and Autauga Counties. This mid-century survey captures a transition in transportation and land use, where the active Craig Air Force Base and Selfield Airport contrast with the rural network of schools and churches that sustained local communities. Significant educational landmarks like the Home Aid Industrial Sch and Tyler Union Sch appear alongside a high density of country churches, including New Brian Chapel and Sister Springs Ch.

The landscape is characterized by its complex waterways and lowlands, notably Blue Gurth Swamp and the dramatic oxbow at Durant Bend. Rail transit remains a vital thread through the territory, with the Western Railway of Alabama following the river's southern bank through Tyler and Benton, while the Southern line serves the northern settlements around Burnsville. For genealogists, the map preserves the specific locations of several family-named cemeteries and rural institutions like Jones Cem and the Dulaney Sch.