Loading map...

1932 Map of Big Clifty

Name: 1932 Topographic Map of Big Clifty
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1940
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1940

About this map

The Illinois Central Railroad cuts a prominent path across the Kentucky landscape, anchoring the development of Big Clifty and Stephensburg during the late 1920s and early 1930s. This survey, conducted by agencies including the Department of Mines and Minerals, highlights the region's industrial foundations through the Ohio Valley Asphalt Mine and the Rock Crown Asphalt Mine. The terrain is defined by the winding course of the Rough River and Meeting Creek, where local commerce is evidenced by Webb Mills and the social hub at Calverts Store.

Rural life is densely documented through a network of one-room schoolhouses and community churches, such as Howes Valley High School and St Pauls Church. Notable natural landmarks like Wonderland Caverns and various spring-fed water sources such as Roaring Spring illustrate the karst topography unique to this part of the state. For genealogists, the map preserves specific burial sites like St Elizabeth Cem and numerous family-named hills and hollows.