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1901 Map of Columbia

Name: 1901 Topographic Map of Columbia
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1940
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1940

About this map

The Duck River meanders through the heart of Middle Tennessee in this late 19th-century survey, creating a complex landscape of deep bends and fertile valleys. Major regional hubs like Centerville and Columbia anchor the river system, while smaller settlements like Lyles, Warner, and Graham reflect the industrial and agricultural activity of the era. The presence of the U.S. Arsenal near Columbia and the Meriwether Lewis National Monument in the southwest corner of the sheet highlight significant federal footprints in Maury and Lewis Counties.

Transportation is defined by a dense network of early rail lines, including the Nashville and Decatur RR and the Nashville Chattanooga and St. Louis RR. These railroads connected the phosphate-rich lands around Mount Pleasant and the resort-focussed Bon Aqua Springs to the broader Southern economy. Away from the tracks, the terrain is marked by family-named hollows and strategic river crossings like Winter Ford and Deer Ford, illustrating the localized movement of goods before modern bridging.