1954 Map of Blackey

About this map

Rockhouse Creek and Carr Fork dictate the settlement patterns of this Kentucky coal country, where small communities are strung along narrow valley floors. The landscape of the mid-1950s is defined by the proximity of industrial and residential life, notably at Carbon Glow, which features its own Carbon Glow Sch and nearby Oil Wells. The rugged border between Knott Co and Letcher Co is peppered with rural institutions, from the Indian Bottom Ch to the Plax Patch Sch and Jeremiah Sch. In the southern portion of the sheet, the L & N railroad follows the winding banks of the North Fork of the Kentucky River, serving the town of Blackey and the curiously named Hot Spot. This survey captures the region just before significant modernization, showing a dense network of mountain schools and local family-named branches like Wolfpen Br and Little Doubles Br.