2024 Map of Center Ridge

About this map

The community of Center Ridge serves as the focal point for this landscape in the northern reaches of Smith County, where a dense network of country roads connects family settlements and historic congregations. The area is heavily defined by its spiritual and genealogical landmarks, including the Mount Zion Baptist Church Cem and the Liberty Baptist Church Cem. Small family burial sites like Hancock Cem and the Jeffcoats - Farnham Private Cem are scattered among the ridges, suggesting deep-rooted local lineages. The drainage patterns of the Leaf River and Beaverdam Creek dictate the local topography, while the eastern portion of the sheet is marked by the winding courses of West Tallahala Creek and Keys Mill Creek. This distribution of cemeteries and churches across the various townships—t2n r8e, t2n r9e, t1n r8e, and t1n r9e—reflects a classic rural Mississippi settlement pattern of small, dispersed communities centered around place of worship and kinship.