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1953 Map of Hyden West

Name: 1953 Topographic Map of Hyden West
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1954
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1954

About this map

The Hyden area of the Kentucky mountains is captured in this early 1950s record, showing a landscape defined by its deep hollows and namesake creeks. Near the Leslie and Perry county line, the map documents a high density of rural schools and family-centered landmarks, such as Upper Hell for Certain Sch and Lower Hell for Certain Sch along the curiously named waters of Hell. These small educational outposts, including Piney Grove Sch and Hals Fork Sch, reflect the isolated nature of mountain life before the extensive consolidation of the late twentieth century.

Transportation is dominated by the winding paths of Bullskin Creek and Rockhouse Br, where settlements like Thousandsticks and Sizerock took root. The spiritual life of the community is anchored by structures like Brethren Ch and Buyers Chapel, while the Lookout Tower stands as a sentinel over the wooded ridges. This survey provides genealogists and local historians an exact look at the placement of family cemeteries and homesteads along the forks of the Kentucky River watershed.