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1949 Map of Sunlight

Name: 1949 Topographic Map of Sunlight
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1978
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1978

About this map

Sipsey Fork and Blackwater Creek anchor this landscape along the border of Walker and Winston Counties. The area is defined by a rural network of small communities and crossroads such as Marylee, Sunlight, and Burrows Crossroads. In the decades following the initial survey, the terrain underwent significant changes as evidenced by the numerous purple-shaded areas marking a Strip Mine and the expansion of Lewis Smith Lake in the northern reach.

Genealogists will find a wealth of local landmarks, including a high concentration of country churches like Mt Olive Ch and Philadelphia Ch. Family history is further preserved in sites such as Tingle Cem and Tidwell Cem. The transition from the dense woodlands of the William B Bankhead National Forest to the industrial mining sites reflects the evolving economic character of this Alabama interior during the mid-to-late twentieth century.