1975 Map of Columbiana SE

About this map

Shelby sits at the northern edge of this 1975 aerial survey, positioned among the hills of central Alabama. The landscape transitions from these upland forests down to the jagged, flooded inlets of the Coosa River, which dominates the eastern and southern portions of the map. Produced in cooperation with the Soil Conservation Service, this orthophotoquad provides an unfiltered photographic look at land use during the mid-seventies, showing a clear contrast between managed timberlands and the natural contours of the river valley. The dense network of wooded ridges and small clearings reflects the rural character of this region before significant modern development, preserving the exact footprint of the community and the winding shoreline of the river system as they existed decades ago.