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1951 Map of Rives

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

USGS Topo · Published 1951

About this map

The Illinois Central and Gulf Mobile and Ohio railroads converge at Rives, forming a vital transportation hub in the fertile landscape of Obion County. This mid-century portrait captures a rural economy defined by complex water management, most notably the Obion River Drainage Canal and the Rutherford Creek Drainage Canal, which were engineered to handle the meandering courses of the North Fork Obion River and the South Fork Obion River.

Settlement patterns reveal a network of small communities and family landmarks such as Moffatt, Polk, and Crockett. For genealogists, the map preserves the locations of local institutions including Pleasant Hill Ch, Central Ch, and West Hill Cem. The southern reach of the quadrangle is dominated by a dense riverine environment where Horseshoe Lake, Long Lake, and Big Lake mark the former oxbows of the original river channel before drainage efforts altered the terrain.