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1946 Map of Chavies

Name: 1946 Topographic Map of Chavies
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1972
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1972

About this map

Sand Mountain and Lookout Mountain dominate this Alabama landscape, separated by the deep corridor of Big Wills Valley. The 1946 survey, updated with 1970 aerial data, reveals a network of agrarian communities and gap-focused transit. Rainsville serves as a northern hub, complete with a Drive-In Theater and Athletic Field, while the Southern Railroad railroad tracks parallel the valley floor near Fort Payne.

Local industry and geography are deeply intertwined, evidenced by numerous gaps like McCurdy Gap and Chavies Gap that dictate movement across the ridges. Water-powered history is visible at Killian Mill and Bynum Mill, while traditional river crossings such as Suttell Ford and Bohannon Ford remain marked. Numerous country churches and cemeteries, including Miller Chapel, Robertson Chapel, and Antioch Cem, provide essential anchor points for genealogists tracing family footprints in DeKalb County.