1961 Map of Buckhorn

About this map

The Buckhorn Reservoir dominates this landscape in the early 1960s, its winding waters backfilling the deep valleys of the Kentucky River Middle Fork. This period shows the immediate impact of the newly completed Buckhorn Dam, which transformed the drainage patterns of Breathitt, Perry, and Leslie counties. The map captures the transitional state of the region, where older mountain infrastructure such as Johnson Sch and Schoolhouse Sch sit near modern water management features like a Gaging Station and new Boat Ramps. Local industry is evidenced by scattered Mines and a notable Strip Mine north of Lick Branch. Small communities and family-named hollows like Bowlingtown, Gays, and Confluence are documented alongside natural landmarks such as Buzzard Roost and Langdon Knob, preserving the geography of the hills just as the reservoir altered the traditional river-bottom life.