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1955 Map of South Boston

Name: 1955 Topographic Map of South Boston
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1956
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1956

About this map

South Boston and New Salem anchor this mid-1950s survey of the wooded hill country along the Washington and Clark county lines. The landscape is defined by the deep dissection of the Blue River and its tributaries, including the Middle Fork and South Fork, which carve through the terrain near high points like Bowers Knob and Williams Knob. Large tracts of the Clark State Forest dominate the eastern and central sections, suggesting a rural economy heavily reliant on timber and small-scale agriculture.

Genealogists will find a dense network of community landmarks that suggest the social structure of the era. Numerous country churches and their associated burying grounds, such as Mt Bethel Church and Chestnut Hill Cemetery, are scattered along the ridgeline roads. Rural education is still visible through the presence of the Franklin School and Polk School, marking the neighborhood centers that served these upland townships before mid-century consolidation.