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1939 Map of Estill Fork

Name: 1939 Topographic Map of Estill Fork
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1939
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1939

About this map

The Cumberland Plateau landscape along the Alabama-Tennessee state line is captured here through the detailed work of Arthur E. Morgan and the Tennessee Valley Authority. The settlement pattern follows the narrow valley floors, most notably along the Larkin Fork and Estill Fork of the Paint Rock River. These drainages are flanked by significant elevations like Miller Mountain and Little Mountain, creating a topography where local life centered on small, dispersed communities.

Genealogists will find a wealth of family-named landmarks and essential community anchors, from the Beech Grove Ch near the border to Grays Chapel and the Freedom Sch. Numerous burial grounds, including Prince Cem, Butler Cem, and Bolden Cem, are carefully noted alongside rural infrastructure such as State Highway No 65. The map reflects a moment in time when the remote hollows and coves, like Puncheon Cove and Holland Cove, maintained distinct local identities before mid-century shifts in rural population.