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1939 Map of Reelfoot Lake

Name: 1939 Topographic Map of Reelfoot Lake
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1943
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1943

About this map

Reelfoot Lake dominates this 1939 survey, showcasing a complex landscape of cypress-filled basins and islands at the intersection of Tennessee, Kentucky, and Missouri. This landscape, shaped by the historic New Madrid seismic events, features a dense network of landmarks including the Hickman Hunting Club and Hickman Gun Club situated near Upper Blue Basin. The map captures the era's rural infrastructure, from the Illinois Central railroad tracks to small riverfront settlements like Tiptonville and Ridgely.

Genealogists will find exceptional value in the high density of labeled community centers. Numerous family-named schoolhouses such as Midway Sch and Owens Sch appear alongside combined religious and burial sites like Crockett Chapel Ch & Cem and Thompson Ch & Cem. The detailed shoreline includes named features like Rat Island, Willow Towhead, and the Glory Hole Ch & Cem near the Blue Bank Levee Flood Gate, reflecting the precarious balance between settlement and the river's floodplain.