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1905 Map of Leeds

Name: 1905 Topographic Map of Leeds
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1956
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1956

About this map

West Red Mountain and Opossum Valley form the backbone of this topographic study, where industrial ambitions intersect with early twentieth-century Alabama settlement. The presence of the Lucy Duke Furnace and the Alfretta Mines near Morrow Gap signals the region's mineral wealth, specifically the iron ore and coal driving the growth of the nearby Birmingham district. This landscape is a dense network of competing rail lines, including the Louisville and Nashville Railroad and the Seaboard Air Line Railway, which connect established hubs like Leeds and Trussville to rural outposts such as Chalkville and Argo Station.

Beyond the industrial corridors, the terrain reveals a more local, agrarian layer of history. Significant landmarks like Leeds Mineral Well and Smiths Mill on Turkey Creek provide clues for genealogists and researchers looking for vanished social and commercial centers. The map also traces the winding course of the Cahaba River and the Little Cahaba River, where deep hollows and ridges like Blackoak Mtn and Blackjack Ridge restricted movement and shaped the placement of early churches, such as Oakgrove Church.