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1959 Map of Helena

Name: 1959 Topographic Map of Helena
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1991
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1991

About this map

The Cahaba River winds through a landscape defined by sharp ridge-and-valley topography, dividing the industrial and residential growth of Hoover and Pelham in Shelby and Jefferson counties. This 1959 survey, updated with 1980s photo revisions, captures the era when the Seaboard railroad still dictated the orientation of settlements like Helena, Falliston, and Roebuck. The map reveals a dense network of local landmarks, from the Mars Hill Ch and Cumberland Cem to the sprawling recreation area of Oak Mountain State Park in the southeast.

Transportation patterns are dominated by the Dividing Ridge and Little Mountain, where historic crossings like Roy Ford and Nunnally Ford contrast with the modern growth of Alabaster and Scottrock. The presence of Gravel Pits and various Quarry sites near Keystone and Hardy points to the region's active mineral extraction history, while institutions like the Indian Spring Sch and the County Hosp mark the community's mid-century development.