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1946 Map of Portersville

Name: 1946 Topographic Map of Portersville
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1974
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1974

About this map

Big Wills Valley serves as the primary corridor for commerce and travel through this part of De Kalb County in 1946, with the Southern railroad and US Route 11 cutting a straight path through the heart of the landscape. The settlement of Collinsville anchors the southern portion of the sheet near a large Reservoir, while Portersville sits at a critical gap in the ridges to the north. These valley communities are surrounded by a dense network of family-centered landmarks, including several schools and churches such as Graham Chapel and the McNutt Memorial Ch.

The terrain is defined by the parallel ridges of Lookout Mountain and Shinbone Ridge, creating a series of narrow valleys like Dugout Valley and Sand Valley. Rural life is etched into these folds through sites like Longshore Mill and numerous family burial grounds, including the Plunket Cem and Killian Cem. The map captures the era's transition between traditional mountain agriculture and the developing infrastructure of the mid-twentieth century.