1948 Map of Back Valley

About this map

The Powell River snakes through the center of this 1948 survey, carving a deep path between the steep ridges of Wallen Ridge and Chestnut Ridge. This rural borderland between Tennessee and Virginia is defined by a dense network of mountain hollows and gaps, such as Bales Gap and Gibson Gap, which dictated the location of early roads and settlements. Local commerce is centered around small operations like Thompson Mill on Fourmile Creek and Mathis Mill near the southern edge of the map.