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1909 Map of Providence

Name: 1909 Topographic Map of Providence
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1951
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1951

About this map

The Tradewater River winds through a landscape of tight ridges and sprawling creek bottoms at the dawn of the twentieth century, marking the boundaries between Union, Webster, Crittenden, Caldwell, and Hopkins counties. This territory is anchored by the coal and rail hubs of Providence, Wheatcroft, and Clay, where the Illinois Central and the Kentucky Valley RR facilitated the region's industrial growth.

Beyond the tracks, the survey captures a rural network of small settlements and river crossings like Rices Mill Jericho Ford and Baldwin Ford. Social life is documented through scattered landmarks such as Sugar Grove School, Blackburn Church, and the Numms Sta Gladstone PO. The map provides a remarkable look at a time when river fords were as essential as the railways for local commerce, from the slopes of Snead Hill to the valley of Crab Orchard Creek.