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1934 Map of Cottondale

Name: 1934 Topographic Map of Cottondale
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1934
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1934

About this map

Cottondale and the eastern outskirts of Tuscaloosa County are defined here by a dense network of ridges and river valleys before the mid-century expansion of the regional infrastructure. The Black Warrior River cuts through the northwest corner, while the Southern RR and Mobile and Ohio RR provide the primary transport corridors for small rail-stop communities like Coaling and Duncanville. This landscape is heavily punctuated by local spiritual and educational landmarks, reflecting a decentralized rural society.

Genealogists will find numerous family and community sites, from the Andrews Chapel and Emerson Chapel to isolated schoolhouses like Brown Sch and Mitchell Sch. The convergence of Hurricane Creek and Big Sandy Creek dictates the placement of these early settlements, showing how the drainage of the Freeman Line influenced the original surveying and habitation of the Tuscaloosa and Bibb County borderlands.