1950 Map of Elliston

About this map

The Lee Highway and parallel rail lines of the Virginian RR and Norfolk and Western RR dictate the settlement pattern along the Roanoke River valley in this 1950s study. Small communities like Lafayette and Shawsville sit at the base of Poor Mountain, while the winding Blue Ridge Parkway traces the higher elevations to the south. The map documents a rural landscape transitioning toward mid-century infrastructure, evidenced by several scattered radio towers such as the Radio Mast (WSLS) and the Radio Tower (WDBJ).