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1971 Map of Tennemo

Name: 1971 Topographic Map of Tennemo
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1983
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1983

About this map

The Mississippi River creates a dynamic borderland in this 1971 survey, where the shifting channel defines the boundary between Tennessee and Missouri. This particular stretch of the river is characterized by numerous river features like Blaker Towhead and Gore Towhead, alongside substantial islands such as Island No 14 and Island No 17. The landscape reflects a high-stakes relationship with the water, as a prominent Levee system protects the low-lying agricultural lands of Little Prairie and the inland drainage of Running Reelfoot Bayou.

Small riverfront and agricultural communities anchor the Tennessee side, including the settlements of Tennemo and its associated Tennemo Landing. Further inland, rural life is marked by the presence of Cottonwood Grove, the Cottonwood Ch, and the curiously named Owl Hoot. The map provides a detailed look at the hydrology of the Mississippi floodplain before later 20th-century developments, showing the complex network of sloughs and bayous like Blue Bank Bayou that crisscross the fertile bottomlands.