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1957 Map of Big Stone Gap

Name: 1957 Topographic Map of Big Stone Gap
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1978
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1978

About this map

Stone Mountain and Powell Mountain dominate the geography of this Appalachian quadrangle, where the Powell River carves a path through the ridge-and-valley terrain. The industrial and cultural history of the region is evident in the rail networks of the Southern Railway and the Louisville and Nashville Railroad that connect coal-country settlements like Exeter and Irondale. The map reveals a deeply rooted rural community, marked by an exceptional density of family-named burial grounds including Reasor Cem, Collier Cem, and Arbuckle Hill Cem.

Cultural landmarks like The Trail of the Lonesome Pine follow the contours of the land, while the Seminary and numerous churches such as Beech Grove Ch and Alvis Chapel serve the scattered populations in Turkey Cove and Lovelady. The presence of the Jefferson National Forest and local schools like Big Stone Gap No 9 highlights the balance between public land management and the localized development of southwestern Virginia’s mountain gaps.