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1891 Map of Cumberland Gap

Name: 1891 Topographic Map of Cumberland Gap
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1909
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1909

About this map

The Cumberland River carves a winding path through this 1880s landscape, serving as a primary corridor for the settlements of Barbourville and Pineville. This region, documented by surveyors S.S. Gannett and F.J. Knight, is defined by the massive parallel ridges of Pine Mountain and Cumberland Mountain. The strategic importance of the Cumberland Gap is evident where the tri-state boundaries of Kentucky, Virginia, and Tennessee converge near the Pinnacle.

Before modern bridges spanned these waters, local transit relied on landmarks like Ives Ferry and river crossings such as McHenry Ford and Campbell Ford. Small communities and family-named landmarks like Callaway, Walnut Hill, and Flat Lick are scattered along the creek beds of Big Yellow Creek and Stinking Creek, illustrating the early settlement patterns of the Log Mountains and Mingo Mountains.