1959 Map of Keener

About this map

Big Wills Valley and Little Wills Valley dominate this landscape, nestled between the prominent ridges of Sand Mountain and Lookout Mountain. The settlement pattern follows the fertile valleys and the Southern Railway corridor, which connects rural communities like Keener and Flanders. A series of gaps through the ridges, including Ward Gap, Campbell Gap, and Keener Gap, highlight the historical importance of mountain passes for local travel and commerce between the De Kalb Co Etowah Co line. Mapping by the Tennessee Valley Authority reveals a network of country churches and family cemeteries, such as Duck Springs Cems and Mathis Cem, that served the scattered farmsteads of the late 1950s. Water features like Big Wills Creek and several springs provided the essential resources for the agricultural life that defined this corner of northeast Alabama.