1961 Map of Gloster

About this map

Gloster and Centreville anchor this 1960s study of southwestern Mississippi, where the Illinois Central railroad dictates the orientation of small-town commerce. The landscape is a dense network of creek-fed timberlands within the Homochitto National Forest, characterized by dozens of small family and church-affiliated burial grounds. Genealogists will find high value in the precise locations of the Mt Carmel Ch Cem, Pilgrim Rest Ch Cem, and Cage Chapel Cem, which along with Finch Sch, mark the social centers of rural communities like Newtonia and Caledonia. The topography is defined by the winding course of the Buffalo River and its numerous tributaries, such as Silver Creek and Jackson Creek, interspersed with numerous Gravel Pits and early Oil Wells that highlight the local extractive economy of the era.