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1953 Map of Fallsburg

Name: 1953 Topographic Map of Fallsburg
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1955
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1955

About this map

Blaine Creek snakes through the heart of this Appalachian landscape, defining the character of eastern Kentucky just after the mid-century. The settlement of Fallsburg sits at a critical bend in the creek, surrounded by a network of rural schools and family chapels like Bradley Gap Ch and Newcomb Chapel. This era reveals a region heavily shaped by its geography and industrial infrastructure, with pipe lines cutting across the ridges and an extensive Oil Field stretching through the southern hills.

Along the eastern edge, the Big Sandy River serves as the state boundary, accompanied by the heavy rail presence of the Norfolk and Western Railway. Local history is deeply etched into the topography here, from the Poorhouse near Cooksey to the namesake of Powder Mill Br. The map documents a period before major modern redevelopments, capturing small communities like Yatesville and Stringtown in their traditional configurations.