1901 Map of Owensboro

About this map

Owensboro and Rockport anchor this survey of the Ohio River valley at the turn of the century, illustrating a landscape defined by industrial river commerce and intricate drainage networks. The Kentucky side is dominated by the sprawling street grid of Owensboro and the nearby Bon Harbor Hills, while the Indiana shore features the Southern R.R. (Rockport Br.) terminating at the riverside bluffs. The interior terrain is a complex system of sloughs, ditches, and basins, including the notable Willow Pond Bed and Rose Pond Ditch, reflecting the historical efforts to manage the wetlands for agriculture and settlement. Small communities such as Richland City, Lake Mills, and Patronville are connected by a web of wagon roads and rails, including the Louisville Henderson and St. Louis R.R. which skirts the river's southern bank near Stanley. Large river features like French Island and Little Hurricane Island mark the shifting channel that divides Spencer and Daviess counties.