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1911 Map of Abingdon

Name: 1911 Topographic Map of Abingdon
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1928
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1928

About this map

Abingdon serves as the regional hub for this survey of the Appalachian Highlands, situated where the Middle Fork Holston River and South Fork Holston River flow through the valleys of Southwest Virginia. The landscape is defined by the heavy infrastructure of the Norfolk and Western Railway, which connects prominent industrial and agricultural centers like Saltville, Glade Spring, and Meadowview. This rail corridor supported a network of local commerce evidenced by landmarks like Whites Mill, De Busk Mill, and the Quarry near Maccrady.

Beyond the valley floors, the terrain rises sharply into Clinch Mountain and Iron Mountain, where smaller settlements such as Tannersville and Chatham Hill mark the gaps. The map records several social and civic anchors for the era's rural population, including Emory, the site of Greenfield Church, and the County Farm. This snapshot captures the region before the massive infrastructure changes of the mid-20th century, preserving the locations of numerous family-named mountain gaps and remote valley schools.