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1951 Map of Wolf Island

Name: 1951 Topographic Map of Wolf Island
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1953
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1953

About this map

The Mississippi River dominates this mid-century survey, defining a complex borderland where Kentucky, Missouri, and Illinois converge. This specific reach is characterized by massive shifting landforms like Wolf Island No 5 and the prominent Middle Bar. The topography reveals the river's dynamic nature through a series of secondary waterways and depressions, including Three Ponds Slough and Long Pond, which mark the low-lying floodplain south of Chalk Bluff.

The map captures a specific moment in the river's hydrologic history before extensive modern channelization, documenting various navigational aids labeled simply as Light along the banks. In the southern portion of the quadrangle, Obion Creek meanders toward the main stem, cutting through the heavy silt deposits of the Hickman and Fulton County lines. The presence of Medley Bar in the center of the channel further illustrates the navigational challenges of this stretch during the early 1950s.