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1953 Map of Sturgeon

Name: 1953 Topographic Map of Sturgeon
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1955
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1955

About this map

Cumberland National Forest dominates the western landscape of this 1950s Kentucky survey, where the ridges of Owsley, Lee, and Jackson counties meet. The region is defined by a dense network of mountain streams, including the winding Sturgeon Creek and its many tributaries like Little Sturgeon Creek and Rowlette Creek. The map documents a rural economy of small, creek-side settlements and scattered oil wells in the north near Standing Rock Ch.

Social life in this era centered on a remarkable number of one-room schools and country churches. Local historians can locate community hubs such as Earnestville, Travellers Rest, and Green Hall, alongside now-obscure sites like Hickory Flat Sch and Bethlehem Sch. The topography is marked by significant elevations like Island Creek Knob and Hunters Knob, which provided natural landmarks for the families living along the hollows of Granny Dismal Creek and Spruce Fork.