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1952 Map of Big Ridge Park

Name: 1952 Topographic Map of Big Ridge Park
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1955
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1955

About this map

Big Ridge State Park and the fluctuating shorelines of Norris Lake define this 1952 study of the ridge-and-valley topography where Union, Anderson, and Knox Counties meet. The landscape is a dense network of family-named gaps and knobs, including Malone Gap, McHaffie Gap, and Mitchell Knob, suggesting a deeply rooted rural settlement pattern. This period reveals a community tied to the land through numerous small institutions like Central View School and Macedonia Church, alongside infrastructure such as Loyston Dyke.

The prominence of New Loyston Cemetery and other relocated burial sites reflects the profound transformation of the Clinch River valley following the creation of the reservoir. Settlements like Melbourne and Warwicktown are shown connected by winding mountain roads that follow the contours of Chestnut Ridge and Hinds Ridge. Water remains central to the area's identity, from the currents of Hinds Creek to the industrial history suggested by Stooks Mill.