1959 Map of Rudement

About this map

Cottage Grove and the surrounding farmland of Saline County are defined by a complex transition from coal extraction to the wooded slopes of the Shawnee National Forest. In the late 1950s, industrial activity is prominent through the Strip Mines and the Vinyard Mine near the Louisville and Nashville railroad tracks. This extractive landscape contrasts sharply with the southern portion of the map, where the high ridges of Cave Hill and Bald Knob dominate the terrain. Local social structures are well-documented through a dense network of country institutions, including the Big Ridge Ch, Rocky Branch Sch, and isolated burial grounds like Coffee Cem. The hydrological pattern of the area is marked by the winding Saline River and numerous wetland features such as Davis Slough and Parker Lakes, which served as critical landmarks for generations of residents in settlements like Rudement and Somerset.