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1951 Map of Guage

Name: 1951 Topographic Map of Guage
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1978
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1978

About this map

Quicksand Creek winds through this corner of the Cumberland Plateau, defining a landscape of deep hollows and narrow ridges along the Magoffin and Breathitt county line. The settlement pattern follows the serpentine watercourses, with small communities like Guage and Rousseau serving as focal points for the surrounding rural families. The map is particularly rich for genealogical research, documenting numerous family burial grounds such as the Mc Quinn Cem, Roark Cem, and Crafts Cems tucked into the hillsides.

Evidence of early 20th-century mountain life is preserved through the distribution of small country schools and churches. Facilities like the Richie Sch, Keith Sch, and Big Caney Ch reflect a period when local infrastructure was decentralised and closely tied to the creek branches. This 1951 survey, updated with 1976 photorevisions, captures the transition of the region's rural character before modern development altered the traditional footprint of these Kentucky hollows.