1953 Map of Gresham

About this map

The Green River carves dramatic oxbows across the northern landscape of this region, including the prominent Cox Bend, Tibbs Bend, and Lemon Bend. These sharp river meanders, paired with the winding course of Russell Creek to the south, define a rural Kentucky terrain where small agricultural settlements developed on the higher ground between the waterways. In the early 1950s, community life centered around local landmarks such as Gresham and Roachville, where country roads linked numerous family-named burial grounds and rural institutions. The map reveals a high density of local history markers, from the dual Bethlehem Old Cemetery and Bethlehem New Cemetery sites to combined facilities like Ebenezer Sch & Ch. This layout of small-scale farms, isolated schoolhouses like Howard Sch, and local churches illustrates the persistent rural social structure of the Green River valley before mid-century modernization shifted the local population centers.