1932 Map of Big Clifty

About this map

Big Clifty serves as a central hub in this western Kentucky landscape, where the Illinois Central Railroad cuts across the terrain near the Rock Crush Asphalt Mine. The 1920s survey work reveals a densely settled rural economy defined by the winding courses of the Rough River and Meeting Creek. Small community anchors are visible throughout, from Calverts Store and Webb Mills to a high concentration of local educational and spiritual centers like Ford High School and Smith Chapel. The map documents a time before significant consolidation, preserving the locations of numerous country schools such as the Colored School and Johnson School. Transportation routes like the Elizabethtown Road and Salt River Road connect these small settlements, reflecting the early 20th-century road network across Grayson County and Hardin County.