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1980 Map of Bledsoe

Name: 1980 Topographic Map of Bledsoe
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1981
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1981

About this map

The ridge-and-valley landscape of Harlan County is defined here by the sharp ascent of Pine Mountain and the deep drainage basins of the Cumberland River and Greasy Creek. This 1980 survey reveals a region deeply tied to the extraction industry, with numerous strip mines and deeper mines dotting the slopes above Bledsoe and Napier. The southern portion of the map is dominated by the Kentenia State Forest, where terrain features like Hanging Rock and Tunnel Hill rise over the river valley.

Logistics and transport are anchored by the Louisville and Nashville railroad line following the river's bend near Rosspoint. For genealogists, the map preserves the locations of many family-named burial grounds, including the Wilder Cem, Jones Cem, and Huff Cem, alongside community landmarks like the Abner Branch Chapel and the County Forestry Camp. The dense network of creeks, such as John Miniard Branch and Meetinghouse Branch, illustrates the complex topography that shaped early settlement patterns in these hollows.