1982 Map of Cottondale West

About this map

Cottondale serves as the regional hub for this portion of the Florida Panhandle, situated at the busy intersection of the Louisville and Nashville and Atlanta and St Andrews Bay railroads. The landscape is a network of cypress-rich wetlands and named "bays" such as Drummond Bay, Big Bay, and Melvin Bay, which define the low-lying terrain between Jackson and Washington Counties. Outside the main town, the 1970s field-checked data shows a rural community anchored by small settlements like Loyewood and Glass, and a significant number of country churches including Pilgrim Rest Ch, Oak Grove Ch, and Friendship Ch. The presence of several family-named watercourses like Gilberts Mill Creek and Russ Mill Creek suggests a history of local industry tied to the region's abundant water and timber resources.