1994 Map of Ashford

About this map

Pisgah National Forest and the eastern edge of the Linville Gorge Wilderness dominate this terrain, where the North Fork Catawba River and the Linville River descend toward the northern reaches of Lake James. The map details a period of transition in the mid-1990s, where the infrastructure of the Blue Ridge Pkwy and Kistler Memorial Highway meets the older footprints of mountain communities. Local history is anchored by the Clinchfield RR corridor, which passes through North Cove and under mountains via the Honeycutt Tunnel. Genealogical markers include the South Mountain Institute and several rural burial grounds such as Brown Cemetery and Oak Grove Cemetery. The landscape transitions from the high elevations of Shortoff Mountain and Pinnacle down to the fingers of the reservoir at Longtown, illustrating the complex water and rail network that shaped the border of McDowell and Burke counties.