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1959 Map of Birmingham North

Name: 1959 Topographic Map of Birmingham North
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1961
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1961

About this map

The industrial heart of Alabama beats through this 1959 survey, where the dense rail network of the Louisville and Nashville and Southern railroads converges on the East Thomas Yards. The map documents a period of significant urban density, showing the close-knit neighborhoods of Tarrant City, Inglenook, and Boyles Highlands as they expanded around the heavy industry of the era. North of the city, the landscape transitions from the urban core to the extraction sites of Upper Coalburg and several strip mines, illustrating the direct link between the region's mineral wealth and its urban growth.

Genealogists and local historians will find a wealth of specific landmarks, from the Oak Hill Cemetery near the city center to smaller community burial grounds like Sheriff Cem. Institutional history is well-represented by the Glenn Vocational High Sch, the National Guard Air Evacuation Hospital, and St Pauls Cathedral. The geography is defined by the passage of Village Creek and the notable Boyles Gap, which carved the path for the vital transport lines serving the Birmingham Municipal Airport.