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1961 Map of Arnold Valley

Name: 1961 Topographic Map of Arnold Valley
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1963
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1963

About this map

The James River carves a deep path through the northern landscape of this 1961 survey, flanked by the Chesapeake and Ohio and Norfolk and Western railroads. This river corridor was the primary artery for local industry and settlement, connecting hubs like Natural Bridge Station and Gilmore Mills with the limestone quarries near Rocky Point. The interior is dominated by the ridges of the Jefferson National Forest, where the Appalachian Trail follows the heights of Pine Mountain and Blue Ridge.

Concrete evidence of the region’s industrial and military heritage is visible at the Glenwood Furnace (Ruins) and the Bedford Air Force Station atop Apple Orchard Mountain. For genealogists, the map preserves the locations of numerous small burial grounds and rural places of worship, including the Mt Olivet Cem, Watson Cem, and Glenwood Ch, which anchored the small communities dotting the valley floors.