1961 Map of Lower Salem

About this map

Lower Salem and its surrounding hill country in Washington and Noble counties are defined by the winding course of Duck Creek and its many forks. This area, documented in the early 1960s with revisions in the 1970s, shows a landscape of small agricultural settlements and rural industry, where numerous strip mines dot the ridges above the valley floors. Transportation is anchored by the Penn Central and Baltimore and Ohio railroads, which follow the natural contours of the Muskingum River and the West Fork of Duck Creek. Local history is deeply embedded in the terrain through family and community landmarks such as Shafers Ch, Good Hope Cem, and the Salem-Liberty Sch, reflecting a legacy of dispersed settlement and local education in this corner of southeastern Ohio.