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1957 Map of Clarksville

Name: 1957 Topographic Map of Clarksville
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1959
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1959

About this map

Kerr Reservoir dominates this landscape along the border of Virginia and North Carolina, where the confluence of the Dan River, Staunton River, and Roanoke River was transformed by mid-century water management. The town of Clarksville serves as a central hub, connected to the surrounding countryside by the Atlantic and Danville Railroad and the Southern Railway. The map reveals a deeply established rural social fabric, marked by numerous local landmarks like Buffalo Tabernacle, Siddon Hebron Ch, and the Wharton Memorial.

Beyond the reservoir shoreline, the terrain is dotted with small communities such as Buffalo Junction, Nelson, and Soudan. The presence of several schools, including West End High Sch and Hollow Rock Sch, alongside a Drive-in Theater and a Quarry, illustrates the mix of agricultural, industrial, and social life in the late 1950s. The mapping reflects the transition from early planetable surveys to more modern aerial photography techniques of the era.