1959 Map of Leeds

About this map

Industrial expansion and rugged topography converge at Leeds, where the Cahaba River winds through narrow valleys defined by Blackjack Ridge and Oak Mountain. By the late 1950s, the region was a complex network of resource extraction and transit, evidenced by numerous mines, a quarry, and various shale pits supporting local brick manufacturing at the brick kilns near Lovick. The map documents a corridor of heavy rail transit including the Southern Railway and the Seaboard Coast Line, which pierce the ridges via the Roper Tunnel and Oak Mountain Tunnel.