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1955 Map of Appalachia

Name: 1955 Topographic Map of Appalachia
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1992
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1992

About this map

Coal camps and industrial hamlets dominate this mid-century view of the Kentucky Virginia Divide. The landscape is defined by its deep hollows and narrow valleys where settlements like Roda, Osaka, and Arno thrived along the rail lines. Significant mining activity is evident through the presence of strip mines and mine dumps, specifically along the Ison Rock Ridge and Blue Spur. The drainage of Callahan Creek and Looney Creek provides the topographic structure for these mountain communities.

In the southern portion of the map, the larger centers of Appalachia and Big Stone Gap emerge where the waters of Powell River meet the gaps in Stone Mountain. Small-scale local institutions, such as the Exeter School near Exeter, are recorded alongside industrial infrastructure like a Filtration plant and several electrical substations. The vast Jefferson National Forest encompasses much of the surrounding peaks, including Black Mountain, the highest point in Virginia.