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1953 Map of Ivyton

Name: 1953 Topographic Map of Ivyton
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1955
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1955

About this map

Ivyton and the surrounding hollows of Magoffin County are defined by a complex network of oil and gas extraction in the early 1950s. The landscape is densely dotted with Oil Wells and Gas Wells, indicating a peak period for local energy production that follows the winding branches of Middle Creek and Jennys Creek. This industrial footprint is woven into a deeply established rural community, marked by a high density of family cemeteries such as the Conley Cem and Patrick Cem, and numerous one-room schools that served isolated creek-bed settlements.

Local landmarks like the Chesapeake Narrows and the Licking River headwaters provide geographic anchors for a region where transport relied on the narrow valleys. Educational and spiritual life centered on small, remote outposts like the Rough and Tough Sch, Needmore Sch, and the Little Martha Ch. The map provides a detailed account of a coal and gas-driven economy just as modern roads began to better connect places like Marshallville and Riceville.