1947 Map of Portersville

About this map

Big Wills Valley serves as the central corridor for this 1946 field study, where the Southern railroad line links rural communities between the heights of Sand Mountain and Lookout Mountain. The settlement of Collinsville anchors the southwest corner, featuring a local reservoir and the Collinsville Cem, while Portersville sits at a critical gap in the ridge. The landscape is defined by its numerous small-scale religious and educational landmarks, such as Graham Chapel, Smith Chapel, and the Brown Fell Sch. Local industry and family history are evident in features like Longshore Mill and the dispersed burial grounds including Paley Cem and Plunket Cem. The complex topography of Shinbone Ridge and Little Wills Valley illustrates a mid-century Alabama landscape still oriented around its natural gaps and creek drainage systems like Mush Creek and Yellow Creek.