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1954 Map of Blacks Ferry

Name: 1954 Topographic Map of Blacks Ferry
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1955
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1955

About this map

The Cumberland River dominates this mid-century landscape as it winds through dramatic loops like Salt Lick Bend and Elbow Bend along the Cumberland and Monroe county line. This 1954 field check captures a rural river economy and upland ridge communities in the years before significant modern development. The namesake Blacks Ferry and the nearby Martinsburg settlement mark historic river crossings, while the interior is dotted with one-room schoolhouses and country churches that served as the backbone of local social life.

Genealogists and historians can trace family locations through named landmarks like Zeketown, Peytonsburg, and Staleup. The map records numerous community anchors, including the Hickory Grove Ch and schools such as Bearwallow Sch and Tanbark Sch. In the southeast, the emergence of the Hendricks Creek Dock signals the early recreational shift following the creation of Dale Hollow Reservoir just across the Tennessee border.