1964 Map of Samburg

About this map

Reelfoot Lake dominates the western half of this landscape, its waters divided into complex segments like Blue Basin, Buck Basin, and Carey Basin. The shoreline and adjacent bottomlands are managed as the Reelfoot National Wildlife Refuge, a mosaic of sloughs and islands including Grassy Island and Horse Island. This mid-century survey captures the interplay between the lake's ecological conservation and the rural life on its eastern edge, where the terrain rises sharply from the basin floor. The Illinois Central railroad tracks cut through the northwestern corner near Phillippy, while local commerce and community life cluster at Samburg and Walnut Log. Small landmarks like Indian Mound and country churches such as Midway Ch and Star of Bethlehem Ch dot the rolling hills above the lake, marking long-standing patterns of settlement and faith in this unique corner of Northwest Tennessee.