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1956 Map of Ashford

Name: 1956 Topographic Map of Ashford
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1966
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1966

About this map

Pisgah National Forest dominates this mid-century landscape where the Blue Ridge escarpment drops toward the northern reaches of Lake James. The terrain is defined by the North Fork Catawba River and the Linville River, which carve through deep valleys flanked by peaks like Shortoff Mtn and Dobson Knob. Transportation routes follow the natural topography, with the Clinchfield railroad and the Blue Ridge Parkway skirting the northwestern high ground near Ashford.

Local life is anchored at the South Mtn Institute and smaller settlements like North Cove and Longtown. Genealogists may find value in the location of the Brown Cem near the river or Obeth Cem and Rock Hill Ch on the eastern slopes. The presence of the Kistler Memorial Highway and numerous forest tracks illustrates the development of this mountain corridor for both resource management and increasing recreational access in the decades following World War II.