1965 Map of Fosters Falls

About this map

The New River carves a winding path through the borderlands of Pulaski and Wythe counties, defining a landscape shaped by iron-ore industry and river-bound transportation. At Fosters Falls, the river and the Norfolk and Western railroad intersect at a historic center of nineteenth-century charcoal iron production, evidenced by the Boom Furnace downstream near Kayoulah. The settlement pattern follows the fertile valleys and river bends, with older communities like Barren Springs and Bertha positioned alongside the rail line. Evidence of early landownership and rural community life is scattered throughout the ridges, from the Oglesby Cem to the Graham School and several rural sanctuaries such as Johnson Chapel and Clarks Mill Ch. While Interstate 81 crosses the northern reaches of Draper Valley, the southern portion of the map remains centered on the river's older economy of mills and mines, including High Rocks Mill and various quarries.