1959 Map of Cross Plains

About this map

Cross Plains and the surrounding rural uplands of Ripley County are defined by a complex network of deep creek valleys and high ridges in this 1959 survey. The settlement of Friendship sits tucked into the valley of Laughery Creek, while the broader landscape is dotted with ancestral markers including Wesley Chapel and St Pauls Ch. The topography reveals the distinctive Devils Backbone ridge, carved by the Wilson Fork and Devils Backbone Branch, illustrating the sharp transition between flat agricultural plateaus and the eroded drainage basins that feed into the larger river systems. Genealogists will find a wealth of family-named landmarks and cemeteries, such as the Winkler Cem, Nickolson Cem, and Arford Cem, which indicate the established family farmsteads of the mid-20th century. Smaller communities like Olean, Benham, and Avonburg are connected by winding roads that follow the high ground of Salem Ridge and Trot Ridge.