Loading map...

1947 Map of Forkland

Name: 1947 Topographic Map of Forkland
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1979
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1979

About this map

Forkland and the surrounding plantation country of Greene County are documented here through surveys conducted in the 1940s and revised in the late 1970s. The landscape is defined by the winding Tombigbee River and the extensive Hagan Swamp, which dominate the southern and central terrain. This area reflects a deeply rooted rural society where life centered around small family-named landmarks and local institutions like Cook Chapel Sch, Springhill Sch, and Stonewall Taylor Sch. The presence of Derder Landing on the riverbank and the St Louis and San Francisco RR cutting through the center highlights the historical importance of both water and rail transportation for the region's agricultural economy.

Genealogists will find significant value in the numerous family cemeteries and neighborhood churches, including Bowers Cem, Hard Bargain Cem, and Friendship Ch. Large landholdings like Meadow Brook Farm and Crestwell Farm are recorded alongside smaller settlements such as Tishabee and Braggville. The map captures the transition of the river into Demopolis Lake, marking a change in the waterway's character while preserving the names of the older hills and creeks that have long shaped this Alabama Black Belt community.