2010 Map of Bethel Valley

About this map

The United States Atomic Energy Commission presence defines this section of the Clinch River valley, where mid-century federal land acquisitions and industrial security intersect with older Appalachian settlement patterns. The landscape is marked by the winding river and a network of security routes like the D O E N Patrol Rd and New Zion Patrol Rd. Significant topographical features include Haw Ridge and East Fork Ridge, which separate the industrial zones from early family homesteads and churchyards. Genealogists will find a high density of burial sites such as Hembree Cemetery, Douglas Chapel Cemetery, and Mount Vernon Cemetery. The river's character is shaped by the Melton Hill Dam, which created the large reservoir around Gallaher Bend and submerged numerous historical river features, though names like Hursts Shoals and Vancouvers Shoals remain recorded on the map.