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1953 Map of Rome

Name: 1953 Topographic Map of Rome
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1955
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1955

About this map

The Ohio River carves a dramatic oxbow through the borderlands of Indiana and Kentucky, defining the lives of riverside communities like Rome and Stephensport in the mid-1950s. The northern bank is dominated by the dense canopy of the Hoosier National Forest, where the German Ridge Lookout Tower stands as a sentinel over rugged ridges such as Popo Ridge and Shove Ridge. This topography is marked by numerous family-named landmarks and cemeteries, including Brashear Cem and Groves Cem, which offer significant value for genealogical research.

On the Kentucky side, the landscape transitions into the drainage basins of Sinking Creek and Town Creek, where the small settlements of Addison and Holt are situated along the river's edge. The map captures a moment when rural life centered around local landmarks like the Tucker Sch and Schraner Ch, illustrating a period of high connectivity between the two states via the river's natural course before modern highway developments significantly altered local transportation patterns.