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1953 Map of Freedom

Name: 1953 Topographic Map of Freedom
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1954
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1954

About this map

The Barren Co Monroe Co Boundary bisects this mid-century survey, cutting through a landscape of winding watercourses and small rural communities. The settlement of Freedom sits centrally along the north-south road, serving as a local hub near Mount Hermon. The terrain is defined by the drainages of Skaggs Creek and Peter Creek, where the placement of numerous schools and churches suggests a decentralized but active social geography. Educational landmarks like Lyons Sch and Bethlehem Sch appear alongside family-named cemeteries such as Simmons Cem and Bowles Cem, providing essential data for genealogical research.

Transportation follows the ridges and creek valleys, connecting smaller hamlets like Nobob and Eaton in the north to Jeffrey and Mud Lick in the south. The prevalence of named branches, including Steam Mill Branch and Hacker Branch, reflects the importance of water access for early homesteads. For those tracing Kentucky ancestry, the map preserves the exact locations of rural religious centers like Words Chapel and Antioch Ch during the early 1950s.