Loading map...

1891 Map of Cumberland Gap

Name: 1891 Topographic Map of Cumberland Gap
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1917
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1917

About this map

Cumberland River drainage patterns dominate this late 19th-century reconnaissance, capturing the vital gateway where Kentucky, Tennessee, and Virginia converge. The topography is defined by the sharp parallel ridges of Pine Mountain and the Kentucky Ridge, creating a natural corridor for early migration and settlement. The prominent Cumberland Gap and the nearby Pinnacle landmark overlook a landscape of deep hollows and named branches like Hance Branch and Williams Branch.

Settlement activity is clustered near the water, with Barbourville and Pineville serving as primary hubs. In the western reaches, Tyes Ferry indicates a crossing point on the river long before modern bridge infrastructure. The intricate mapping of the Log Mountains and Mingo Mountains south of the gap reveals the difficult terrain faced by early travelers and surveyors establishing the Kentucky Tennessee Boundary Line.