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1925 Map of Reelfoot Lake

Name: 1925 Topographic Map of Reelfoot Lake
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1925
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1925

About this map

Reelfoot Lake dominates this 1920s landscape, illustrating a complex environment of cypress swamps, open basins, and submerged lands in the wake of the New Madrid earthquakes. The map reveals a transition from the agricultural plains surrounding Tiptonville and Ridgely to the marshy labyrinth of Grassy Bend and Upper Blue Basin. This era predates significant modern water control, showing the Blue Bank Levee and the Washout as critical infrastructure against the seasonal shifts of the nearby Mississippi River.

Social life in the Reelfoot Basin is evidenced by the density of rural landmarks such as Possum Trot Church, Rodgers School, and the Hickman Hunting Club, reflecting the area's dual identity as a farming frontier and a premier sporting destination. The Illinois Central railroad and Whites Switch provide the primary transport links, while local place names like Glory Hole and Nix Towhead preserve the unique vernacular of the Tennessee river bottoms.