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1976 Map of Back Valley

Name: 1976 Topographic Map of Back Valley
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1981
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1981

About this map

Back Valley runs through this portion of Hancock County in the mid-1970s, defined by a series of prominent ridgelines and deep river bends. The Powell River dominates the northern sector, winding through tight loops as it cuts through the Appalachian topography. Near the southern border, the settlement of Evanston is situated along Clinch R, showing the rural development patterns characteristic of this border region between Tennessee and Virginia.

Several mountain passages, including Sales Gap, Mulberry Gap, and Brewer Gap, mark the primary routes between the parallel valleys. These gaps dictate the local drainage patterns for numerous waterways like Big Sycamore Creek and Blackwater Creek. The orthophoto imagery, prepared by the U. S. Geological Survey in cooperation with Virginia agencies, provides a clear view of the agricultural clearings and forested slopes just before the turn of the decade.