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1952 Map of Palmer

Name: 1952 Topographic Map of Palmer
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1973
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1973

About this map

The confluence of the Kentucky River and the Red River defines this landscape where Clark, Estill, and Madison Counties meet. In the early 1950s, the terrain was characterized by dramatic river meanders including Maupin Bend and Thornsburg Bend, with the Louisville and Nashville railroad providing a vital transport corridor along the northern bank. The map reveals a high density of family-named cemeteries and small rural institutions, such as Ellington Cem and the The Bend Sch, indicating a long-established community structure deeply tied to the river bottoms and ridges.

Industrial and navigational infrastructure is visible at Lock No 11, while the interior of the bends, like Marsha Bottom, shows the agricultural footprint of the era. The presence of Iron Mtn and Iron Mound hints at the region's geological and mineral history. From the settlement at Palmer to the small cluster at College Hill, the map serves as a detailed record of central Kentucky's river-valley life before modern development altered these rural patterns.