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1936 Map of Florence

Name: 1936 Topographic Map of Florence
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1936
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1936

About this map

The Tennessee River corridor undergoes a massive industrial and infrastructural transformation in this 1936 survey, dominated by the Proposed Pickwick Landing Reservoir. The city of Florence and the neighboring industrial hubs of Sheffield and Muscle Shoals are shown at a critical juncture, as the Tennessee Valley Authority establishes its presence with numerous TVA Transmission Lines and the TVA Central Offices. The map captures the social landscape of the Depression era, including the CCC Camp No 2426 and the Coffee Rosenwald School, reflecting both federal labor programs and the history of rural education.

Transportation networks are heavily defined by the Louisville and Nashville Railroad and the Southern Railway, which converge near the river's edge. Industrial landmarks like U S Nitrate Plant No 1 and U S Nitrate Plant No 2 underscore the region's importance to national defense and chemical production during the interwar period. The terrain includes numerous family-named landmarks and local hubs like Petersville and Africa Church, many of which faced significant changes as the reservoir waters rose.