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1958 Map of Wattsville

Name: 1958 Topographic Map of Wattsville
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1973
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1973

About this map

Backbone Mountain and Savages Mountain dominate this section of St. Clair County, where the industrial history of Alabama is etched into the landscape through numerous strip mines and gravel pits. The community of Coal City serves as a focal point for local history, featuring the Coal City Sch and proximity to several family and community burial grounds, including the Broken Arrow Cem. Transport and topography are deeply linked here, evidenced by the Hardwick Tunnel which allowed the Seaboard Coast Line Railroad to pierce through the high ridges.

Waterways like Shoal Creek and Broken Arrow Creek carve through the Shoal Creek Valley, while several small churches like Baker Zion Ch and Guiding Light Ch reflect the rural settlement patterns of the mid-20th century. The presence of the Dixie Highway near Wattsville highlights the era's transitioning infrastructure, connecting these coal-producing hills to the wider region. This survey captures a moment when traditional rural life and active extraction industries existed side-by-side.