1962 Map of Gordonsville

About this map

The Cumberland River and the winding Caney Fork define the landscape of Smith County in the early 1960s. This survey records a transition from river-dependent hamlets to a rail-and-road economy, centered on the bustling hub of Gordonsville. The Tennessee Central railroad tracks cut through the southern half of the sheet, serving points like Hickman and Carthage Junction, where the line meets the road network near the river’s edge. Deep river loops at Hell Bend and Boulton Bend illustrate the dramatic topography that hemmed in older settlements like Old Middleton and New Middleton. For local history and genealogy, the map provides an exceptionally high density of family-named landmarks and cemeteries, from the Hogan Creek Cem in the north to the Baird Memorial Cem and Gwaltney Cem further south. Rural life is further mapped through landmarks such as Turner High Sch and the Cedar Point Ch.