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1949 Map of Ben Hur

Name: 1949 Topographic Map of Ben Hur
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1949
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1949

About this map

Jonesville and the nearby village of Ben Hur serve as the primary hubs in this late 1940s landscape, where the Louisville and Nashville railroad winds through the terrain of Poor Valley Ridge. The map documents a rural economy still heavily tied to its waterways and local industries, featuring Collier Mill and Kincer Mill, alongside numerous family burial grounds such as Wampler Cem and Daugherty Cem.

Transport through this part of the Jefferson National Forest relies on significant river crossings like Poteet Ferry Bridge and the Sewell Bridge over the Powell River. The inclusion of the Lonesome Pine Trail and various mountain gaps, including Tip Top Gap and Hunter Gap, illustrates how the ridges of Wallen Ridge and Chestnut Ridge dictated the movement of residents and travelers alike before modern highways altered the valley's connectivity.