1952 Map of Preston

About this map

Slate Creek and its many meandering tributaries define the broken landscape of this eastern Kentucky region during the early 1950s. The Chesapeake and Ohio railway cuts through the northern half of the territory, serving small trackside communities like Stepstone and Preston. Local life is anchored by numerous small family burial grounds such as Carpenter Smith Cem and Goodpaster Cem, alongside rural social centers like Sugar Grove Ch and Hope Sch. Evidence of regional infrastructure appears at the Means Pumping Sta along the banks of Slate Creek. The map documents a dense network of unimproved roads and ridge-top paths, including the prominent Harpers Ridge, which connect isolated settlements such as Peeled Oak and Howards Mill to the broader county hubs.