1947 Map of Cox Gap

About this map

Ashville sits at the western edge of a landscape defined by the rhythmic parallel ridges of the Appalachian Valley and Ridge province. In the late 1940s, this area of St. Clair County was characterized by narrow agricultural corridors like Shinbone Valley and the valleys of Beaver Creek and Shoal Creek, separated by the steep, wooded heights of the Canoe Creek Mountains and the Beaver Creek Mountains. The map reveals a deeply rooted rural community, marked by numerous small churches that served as local anchors, including Weeping Mary Ch, Poplar Springs Ch, and Bethany Ch. Transportation follows the grain of the land, with roads and tracks funneling through natural breaks in the ridges such as Cox Gap, Looney Gap, and Nichols Gap. Small water bodies like Morgan Lake and Borders Lake dot the lowlands, while Canoe Creek winds through the northern flats.