1962 Map of Clifton Forge

About this map

The confluence of the Jackson River and Cowpasture River forms the headwaters of the James River in this survey of the Alleghany and Botetourt county border. This 1962 landscape is defined by the heavy rail infrastructure of the Chesapeake and Ohio railroad, which services the industrial and residential centers of Clifton Forge and Selma. The town of Iron Gate sits at the narrow Rainbow Gap, where the river cuts through the Wilson Mountain and Patch Mountains. North of the urban centers, the terrain shifts into the protected highlands of George Washington National Forest and Douthat State Park. Local life is anchored by institutions like Clifton Forge High School and several rural congregations, including Walton Memorial Ch and Locust Bottom Ch, illustrating the balance between mountain wilderness and Virginia's railroad-driven valley industry.