1975 Map of Hightower

About this map

Lecta and Hightower appear as centers of rural activity in this mid-1970s orthophotoquad of eastern Cleburne County. Unlike a traditional line-drawn map, this photographic record reveals the specific texture of the Alabama landscape as it existed in November 1975, showing the clear boundaries between forested ridges and the agricultural clearings surrounding Union Hill. The meandering path of the Tallapoosa River cuts across the northwest corner of the sheet, providing a vital water source and geographic boundary for the region. Produced in cooperation with the Soil Conservation Service, the imagery allows for a detailed study of land use and timber management in a period of rural stability. This map is particularly useful for researchers tracing the physical evolution of small crossroads communities and family farmsteads that defined the county's character during the late twentieth century.