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1961 Map of Paducah

Name: 1961 Topographic Map of Paducah
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1961
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1961

About this map

The confluence of the Ohio River and the Mississippi River at Cairo anchors this mid-century mapping of the tri-state region. This document captures the complex hydrology of Southern Illinois, Western Kentucky, and Southeast Missouri during a period of significant hydroelectric and conservation activity. The massive Kentucky Reservoir is visible on the Tennessee River, while the newly managed lands of the Crab Orchard National Wildlife Refuge and Trail of Tears State Forest represent the era's focus on land reclamation and state-managed recreation.

Heavy industrial activity is noted through numerous labels for strip mines and gravel pits, particularly across the coal-rich interior around Harrisburg and Marion. Transportation networks are dominated by major rail lines like the Illinois Central RR and the Louisville & Nashville RR, which connected river ports to the expanding midwestern markets. Terrain features such as the Shawneetown Hills and Bald Knob rise above the bottomlands, providing landmarks for the region's diverse agricultural and mining landscape.