1966 Map of Cleveland

About this map

Cleveland and the surrounding Bolivar County delta lands are anchored by the campus of Delta State College and the north-south corridor of the Illinois Central railroad. The landscape is defined by the winding paths of Jones Bayou and the Sunflower River, which border a productive agricultural interior dotted with rural congregations like New Bethel Ch and White Star Ch. In town, the map documents the growth of the mid-1960s, showing the concentration of civic life around the Courthouse, Sillers Coliseum, and East Side High Sch. Outside the city limits, specialized land use is evident in the Fish Farm and various sandpits. This survey captures a moment when smaller settlements like Boyle, O'Reilly, and Porter still maintained distinct identities along the rail and bayou networks.