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1965 Map of Fosters Falls

Name: 1965 Topographic Map of Fosters Falls
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1978
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1978

About this map

The New River carves a deep, serpentine path through the heart of this Wythe County landscape, dictating the placement of early industry and transport. Along its northern banks, the Norfolk and Western railway snakes through river-bottom settlements like Fosters Falls, Barren Springs, and Lone Ash. The presence of Boom Furnace and several scattered quarries indicates a history of mineral extraction tied to the local geology, while the High Rocks Mill at the southern edge suggests a reliance on water power from Reed Creek.

Upland from the river, the terrain rises sharply toward Draper Mountain and the Jefferson National Forest, where smaller communities like Draper Valley and Allison are marked by rural landmarks such as Clarks Mill Ch and the Oglesby Cem. This survey, updated in the late 1970s, documents the encroaching presence of Interstate 81 as it cuts across the northern ridges, contrasting the modern highway era with the older rail-and-river economy that defined the region for generations.