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1950 Map of Sylvania

Name: 1950 Topographic Map of Sylvania
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1950
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1950

About this map

Sand Mountain dominates this mid-century landscape in DeKalb and Jackson Counties, where the high plateau topography is incised by numerous waterways like Sauty Creek and Bengis Creek. The 1950 edition reflects a well-established network of rural crossroads and community hubs, including Bowman Crossroads, Elliott Crossroads, and Brooks Crossroads. This network of roads and small settlements centered around local landmarks such as Wilkes Store and numerous country congregations, including Union Grove Church and Oak Grove Church.

The presence of the Mahan Gem mine and family-named features like Mahan Crossroads and Browder Spring suggests a community closely tied to the land and its resources. The distribution of cemeteries, such as Dean Chapel Cem and New Bethel Cem, provides essential points of reference for genealogists tracking family lineages across this stretch of the Alabama plateau. The survey was field-examined by the Tennessee Valley Authority in 1947, ensuring a precise record of the post-war rural infrastructure.