2011 Map of Strangers Home

About this map

The Black River winds through this section of Lawrence County, defining a landscape of complex oxbows and riverbends such as Rainey Bend, Shirley Lower Bend, and Burns Lower Bend. This 2011 survey captures the river’s continued influence on local settlement patterns, where traditional river crossings like Whitelow Ferry and Strawberry Ferry on the Strawberry River once facilitated travel. Small communities and landmarks like Clover Bend and Strangers Home are documented alongside numerous family and community burial grounds, including Pleasant Hill Cemetery and Ruffner Cemetery. The presence of the Old Martin Mill Place and the seasonal wetlands of Rainey Brake suggest a landscape deeply tied to both timber and the flood cycles of the delta’s edge.