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1961 Map of Ratcliffburg

Name: 1961 Topographic Map of Ratcliffburg
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1963
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1963

About this map

Ratcliffburg and the surrounding woodlands of south-central Ohio are defined by the convergence of steep hollows and narrow creek bottoms. In the early 1960s, this landscape was a mosaic of protected timberland and small rural enclaves, with the Tar Hollow State Forest and Wayne National Forest covering much of the rugged topography. The settlement pattern follows the waterways, particularly along Salt Creek and its many tributaries like Pretty Run and Middle Fork.

Local history is preserved in the numerous family cemeteries and small country churches that dot the valleys, such as Slagle Farm Cem and Lebanon Ch. An ancient Indian Mound located near the junction of Pike Run and Salt Creek suggests a long history of human occupation prior to the 19th-century farming and milling settlements like Eagle Mills. The presence of several Oil Wells and Gas Wells throughout the hills indicates the persistent role of resource extraction in the local economy during this era.