1960 Map of Shade

About this map

The Athens and Meigs county line bisects this landscape of winding ridges and deep valleys, where the Shade River and its branches define the local geography. In the early 1960s, rural life centered on small settlements like Shade, Burlingham, and Pleasanton. The map reveals a community deeply tied to its lineage and the land, evidenced by numerous family-named burial grounds including Jeffers Cem and Burson Cem. Economic activity is clearly marked by the presence of Strip Mines and scattered Oil Wells, particularly along the Gold Ridge and near Kingsbury Creek. Small-scale public institutions, such as the Burlingham Ch and Bedford Sch, appear alongside a dense network of ridge roads like Gilrey Ridge Road and Helwig Ridge Road, which follow the high ground between drainage basins.