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2016 Map of Blacks Ferry

Name: 2016 Topographic Map of Blacks Ferry
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 2016
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 2016

About this map

The Cumberland River carves a dramatic, winding path through the borderlands of Cumberland and Monroe counties, defining the landscape with its tight switchbacks and alluvial bottoms. Significant bends like Elbow Bend, Salt Lick Bend, and Herefords Bend created isolated pockets of farmable land, such as Washes Bottom and Vernon Bottom, which supported generations of rural families. The eponymous Blacks Ferry landmark serves as a reminder of the vital river crossings that once linked these ridge-top communities before modern infrastructure.

Small settlements such as Peytonsburg, Stalcup, and Littrell are connected by a network of winding ridge roads like Littrell Ridge Rd and Judio Creek Rd. For those tracing family history, the map preserves the locations of several small burial grounds, including Philpot Cem, Long Cem, and Short Cem. The southeastern corner shows the northern reaches of Dale Hollow Lake, where the rising waters of the mid-20th century transformed the valley floor, leaving only high points like Pea Ridge above the shoreline.