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1936 Map of Dugout Valley

Name: 1936 Topographic Map of Dugout Valley
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1936
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1936

About this map

Sand Mountain dominates the western half of this 1930s landscape, where rural communities are defined by their churches, schools, and mountain gaps. The Tennessee Basin Divide carves through the terrain, separating the drainage of Town Creek and Snake Creek from the namesake Dugout Valley. Local commerce is anchored by small landmarks such as Blackburns Store and Cranes Store, while social life appears centered around institutions like Pine Grove Ch and High Point Sch.

The presence of numerous named mountain passes, including Whiteoak Gap, Biddle Gap, and Snake Gap, illustrates how residents navigated the undulating ridges of Pea Ridge. Small farmstead branches like Benges Branch and Keith Branch feed into larger waterways, supporting a dispersed agricultural settlement pattern. This survey, conducted by the Tennessee Valley Authority and the U.S. Geological Survey, provides a precise look at the upland interior of DeKalb County before modern development altered these small-scale community networks.