1971 Map of Dora

About this map

Dora and Sumiton anchor this 1970s landscape, illustrating the industrial and residential patterns of the coal region at the Walker and Jefferson County line. The map reveals an area defined by its complex transportation and extraction networks, including the St. Louis-San Francisco, Southern, and Louisville and Nashville railroads. These lines connect a dense series of mining communities and company towns such as Burnwell, West Jefferson, and Twilley Town. Evidence of the region's primary industry is clear through numerous strip mines that weave around water bodies like Williams Lake and Thornton Lake. Local social foundations are well-documented, from the Dora High School to rural congregations at Calvary Church and Morgan Chapel. The topography is further shaped by the Locust Fork and Mulberry Fork, which frame the rugged terrain of the Warrior Coal Basin.