1964 Map of Girard

About this map

The Savannah River forms a massive political and industrial boundary in this 1964 survey, separating Burke County, Georgia, from the restricted Savannah River Plant in South Carolina. While the northern portion of the map is dominated by federal land and river landings like Ellisons Landing and Buxton Landing, the Georgia side preserves a traditional agricultural landscape centered on the town of Girard. This rural community is defined by a network of local institutions, including the Girard Jr High School and numerous country churches such as Bethany Church and Cochran Grove Church. Significant topographic features like Stony Bluff and several family-named cemeteries, including Smith Chapel Cemetery, provide clear landmarks for genealogists tracing the area's 20th-century history. The map also documents the complex drainage of the river bottomlands through Beaverdam Creek and Sweetwater Branch.