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1915 Map of Gantts Quarry

Name: 1915 Topographic Map of Gantts Quarry
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1960
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1960

About this map

Industrial stone extraction and river transport define this 1915 landscape, where the Gantts Quarry operations and the Eureka Quarry sit amidst the ridges of the Talladega and Coosa county line. The Coosa River serves as a primary western boundary, dotted with transit points like McGowan Ferry and Owens Ferry before modern bridges became commonplace. Three major railroads—the Southern Ry, Central of Georgia, and Louisville and Nashville—intersect near Sylacauga and Gantts Junction, highlighting the era's heavy reliance on rail for moving timber and quarried marble.

Rural life is anchored by family-named landmarks and local institutions such as Odens Mill, Looneys Mill, and the Shelving Rock School. The terrain is dominated by the massive Kahatchee Mountain and smaller peaks like Chalybeate Mtn and Sulphur Spring Mtn, which channeled early settlement into the valleys near Fayetteville and Wilsonville. These features provide a clear picture of Alabama's ridge-and-valley topography before the widespread expansion of twentieth-century infrastructure.