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1946 Map of Ft Payne

Name: 1946 Topographic Map of Ft Payne
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1967
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1967

About this map

Fort Payne sits prominently within the valley floor between Lookout Mountain and Sand Mountain, serving as a centralized hub for commerce and transport along the Southern Railroad. This 1946 field examination by the Tennessee Valley Authority reveals a landscape where steep ridges dictate the placement of mountain settlements like Fisher Crossroads and Pumpkin Center. The presence of Manitou Cave and the nearby De Soto State Park indicates the area's early 20th-century importance for recreation and natural landmarks.

Genealogists will find a dense distribution of rural landmarks, including the Log Cabin Chapel and numerous family burial grounds such as Franklin Cem and Lankford Cem. The mapping of several small schools and churches, such as Fisher Sch and New Oregon Ch, illustrates the social fabric of DeKalb County before modern consolidation, with narrow roads like Airfield Road connecting the scattered agrarian communities of Wills Valley and Dogtown.