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1958 Map of Duty

Name: 1958 Topographic Map of Duty
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1960
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1960

About this map

Moss No 3 Mine and nearby strip mines mark the industrial character of this corner of the Appalachian Plateau during the late 1950s. The landscape is defined by the sharp convergence of Long Ridge, Sandy Ridge, and Divide Ridge, where the borders of Dickenson, Buchanan, and Russell Counties meet. This rugged topography dictated a settlement pattern of isolated farmsteads and small communities like Davenport and Duty tucked into narrow hollows and gaps.

Family history is deeply etched into the terrain through numerous namesake burial grounds, including the Wampler, Kiser, and Musick cemeteries. Local life centered around country institutions such as the Abner Gap Ch and the Sourwood Mountain School, while the Jefferson National Forest encompasses much of the southern high ground. The drainage network of Russell Fork and its many branches, like Hurricane Creek, provided the primary corridors for early roads and development.