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1959 Map of Chelsea

Name: 1959 Topographic Map of Chelsea
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1989
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1989

About this map

Double Oak Mountain and the parallel ridges of the Cahaba Valley dictate the settlement patterns of this Shelby County landscape as it appeared in the late 1950s. The Seaboard Coast Line railroad cuts through the terrain, connecting small communities like Chelsea and Simmsville. This survey provides a detailed view of a rural society organized around local institutions, including the New Hope Sch and several country churches such as Calvary Ch and Simmsville Chapel.

The western portion of the sheet is dominated by the protected acreage of Oak Mountain State Park, featuring the waters of Oak Mountain Lake. Throughout the region, a network of family-named landmarks like Lacey Cem and Boyden Lake reflect the deep local genealogy of the area. The map also traces the drainage of Yellowleaf Creek and the Cahaba River, illustrating the land's transition from the high ridges of New Hope Mtn to the valleys below.