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1946 Map of Colemen Gap

Name: 1946 Topographic Map of Colemen Gap
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1970
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1970

About this map

The Powell River carves a dramatic, winding path through the borderlands of Tennessee and Virginia, defining the character of this mid-century landscape. The river’s tight loops at Rowland Bend and Elk Bend necessitated local infrastructure like Brooks Ferry and Brooks Bridge for travelers navigating the valleys between Brooks Ridge and Newman Ridge. This terrain supported a network of small upland communities centered around local institutions such as Chestnut Grove Church, Smith Chapel, and Yeary Sch.

Industry and commerce are represented by Yeary Mill and a concentration of Oil Wells in the northeastern corner of the map, illustrating the extraction and processing economy of the era. Scattered family burial grounds, including the Buchanan Cem and Fillion Cem, are found across the hillsides, providing a detailed record for genealogists studying the families settled in the hollows and gaps of Claiborne Co and Hancock Co during the late 1940s.