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1954 Map of Eli

Name: 1954 Topographic Map of Eli
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1956
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1956

About this map

Lake Cumberland dominates the southern landscape of this mid-1950s survey, its waters reaching into the narrow valleys of Alligator Creek and Wolf Creek. The topography is defined by a series of long, finger-like ridges including Bethany Ridge, Roytown Ridge, and Gosser Ridge, which directed the early settlement patterns of Russell County. Small communities and family centers are scattered throughout these uplands, notably at Eli and Irvins Store.

Genealogists will find a high density of rural infrastructure, from one-room schoolhouses like Sunshine Sch and Combest Sch to numerous remote family burial grounds such as Wilkerson Cem and Hammond Cem. The map reflects a period of significant change for the region, as the rising waters of the reservoir impacted the drainage of many local branches while the upland farming communities at Decatur and Happy Acre remained anchored to the high ground of the traditional ridges.