Loading map...

1939 Map of Avondale

Name: 1939 Topographic Map of Avondale
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1939
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1939

About this map

The Clinch River and Holston River systems define this 1939 survey, which captures Grainger County as the Norris Reservoir had recently reshaped the northern landscape. The topography is dominated by the parallel alignments of Clinch Mountain and Copper Ridge, creating a series of enclosed valleys like Poor Valley and Skinfoot Valley. Settlement follows these natural corridors, with clusters of civic life at Avondale and Thorn Hill.

Genealogists will find a wealth of specific local landmarks, from the Avondale Cem and Shields Cem to the numerous rural schools like Narrow Valley Sch and Limestone Sch. The map records a pre-modern rural economy through features like Turley Mill and the Lookout Tower atop the ridge. Unusual place names such as Notchy Gap, Skinfoot Valley, and Bean Gap reflect the distinct cultural geography of this East Tennessee region during the late 1930s.