1952 Map of Shopville

About this map

Buck Creek carves a winding path through this corner of Pulaski and Rockcastle counties, defining a landscape marked by high ridges and family-named knobs. In the early 1950s, rural life centered around the scattered crossroads of Shopville, Elrod, and Vanhook, where local schools like Silver Star Sch and churches such as Sunnyside Ch served the upland communities. The map reveals a high density of family cemeteries, including the Childress Cem and Gilmore Cem, which provide a detailed record of the region's genealogical history. Terrain features like Custer Bluff and Cash Knob dominate the topography, while the southern reaches extend into the Cumberland National Forest. This period shows a complex network of hollows, such as Wildcat Hollow and Bolger Hollow, that funneled rural travel toward the creek bottoms before modern highway expansions altered the character of these isolated valleys.