1949 Map of Sunlight

About this map

William B Bankhead National Forest defines the northern reaches of this map, where the complex terrain meets the winding waters of Sipsey Fork. The 1949 survey, updated with later aerial photography, reveals a landscape defined by the intersection of traditional rural communities and emerging industrial footprints. Significant Strip Mine operations are visible south of Sunlight, showing the scale of surface extraction in this part of Alabama. The map is a vital resource for genealogists, documenting a high density of country churches and burial grounds such as Herman Ch, Blooming Grove Cem, and the Shady Ridge Ch Cem. Along the lower portion of the sheet, the deep meanders of Blackwater Creek snake through the hills, while high points like the Lookout Tower provide vantage over the wooded ridges and small settlements like Marylee and Burrows Crossroads.