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1959 Map of Elizabethton

Name: 1959 Topographic Map of Elizabethton
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1979
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1979

About this map

Elizabethton serves as the focal point of this survey, where the Watauga River meets the Doe River amidst a landscape of sharp ridges and narrow valleys. The industrial footprint is evident through a chemical plant and the E T & W N C RR infrastructure, which historically connected the iron mines of the region. Beyond the city, the Cherokee National Forest dominates the southern reaches, protecting the steep slopes of Jenkins Mountain and Stone Mountain.

Rural life is marked by numerous family burial grounds such as Treadway Cem and Grindstaff Cem, alongside local institutions like Duffield Academy and Siam Sch. The presence of the Appalachian Trail and the Stone Mtn Trail highlights the area's transition into a recreational landscape, while strip mines near Hampton point to the ongoing extraction of local resources. This map captures a moment when traditional Appalachian settlements in Siam Valley and Valley Forge persisted alongside modern developments like the Elizabethton Airport.