1962 Map of Oil Springs

About this map

The Oil Field and numerous Gas Wells define the industrial character of this corner of eastern Kentucky in the early 1960s. Situated at the junction of Little Paint Br and the State Road, the settlement of Oil Springs serves as a central hub for a landscape deeply etched by creek valleys and ridges. The map reveals a dense network of rural infrastructure, from the Manila PO and Mashfork PO post offices to the neighborhood schools that once anchored these hollows, including Little Mine Fork Sch, Tick Lick Sch, and Pigeon Sch. High ground is marked by prominent landforms like Cotton Knob and Stuffley Knob, the latter topped with a Lookout Tower. Family history is preserved in localized sites such as Tackett Cem and Jack Caudill Branch, illustrating how early 20th-century life in Johnson and Magoffin Counties revolved around small-scale agriculture and extractive resource labor.