1952 Map of Bradfordsville

About this map

The Rolling Fork river system anchors this mid-century portrait of Central Kentucky, where the North Fork and South Fork converge near the community of Bradfordsville. The landscape is dominated by the prominent rise of Muldraugh Hill, a topographic feature that shapes the local drainage patterns for Arbuckle Creek and Tallow Creek. This 1952 field survey reveals a rural society structured around small, local institutions. Numerous country schools, including Grundy Sch and Reed Sch, are scattered throughout the hills alongside landmarks like Mission Ch and Liberty Ch. Small crossroads and riverside settlements like Greenbriar, Merrimac, and Salleetown appear during a period of agricultural stability, linked by narrow routes through gaps in the ridge-line such as Stayton Gap and Grindstone Gap.