1954 Map of Sinking Creek

About this map

Pickwick Lake and the Tennessee River define the southern landscape of this mid-century survey, marking the boundary between Lauderdale and Colbert Counties. The terrain is characterized by a complex network of wetlands and karst features, most notably the extensive Harding Bottoms and Bell Sink. This area, mapped shortly after the mid-century, reveals a densely settled rural community connected by the Gunwaleford Road and Mud Road. Genealogists will find a wealth of local data, with numerous family-named cemeteries such as Sherrod Cem, Walston Cem, and Winborn Cem scattered across the uplands. The distribution of small country churches and schools like New Hope Ch, Canaan Ch, and Ray Sch reflects the social centers of the era before the consolidation of rural infrastructure. Significant crossroads like Lovelace Crossroads and Kimbrough Crossroads serve as the primary anchors for the scattered homesteads of Northwest Alabama.