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1960 Map of Portland

Name: 1960 Topographic Map of Portland
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1979
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1979

About this map

Bayou Bartholomew snakes through the heart of this landscape, its tight meanders and oxbow brakes defining the geography of eastern Ashley County. The Missouri Pacific railroad runs a straight line through the alluvial plains, anchoring settlements like Portland and Sunshine to the regional transport network. This 1960s survey captures a rural environment organized around water and rail, where the bayou provided the drainage and the tracks provided the commerce.

Local history and genealogy are anchored by numerous country churches and cemeteries, such as St Johns Ch and the Holly Grove Cem. The map illustrates the transition from the dense, swampy bottoms of Bear Brake and Wilson Brake to the cleared agricultural fields of the Portland and Debastrop districts. Educational landmarks like Tillis High Sch further mark the social hubs of these farming communities during the mid-century era.