1987 Map of Orrville

About this map

The Alabama River and Cahaba River define the eastern edge of this Dallas County landscape, where the water carves through the terrain at Whites Bluff and winds around Calhoun Bend. To the west, the settlement of Orrville serves as a primary hub, while smaller communities like Beloit, Hazen, and Tatum follow the local transportation corridors and creek lines. The hydrology of the region is complex, marked by the extensive Big Swamp Creek and man-made features such as the Threemile Ditch. Scattered Cem (cemeteries) are noted across the quadrangle, indicating the long-standing family and community sites that dot the rural countryside. The map captures a moment in the late 1980s when the balance between river-fed lowlands and small upland settlements remained a central characteristic of this Alabama river-country geography.