1959 Map of Grayson

About this map

Stone Mountain and Iron Mountain dominate this mid-century topographic portrait of the high country where Tennessee, Virginia, and North Carolina meet. Small mountain settlements like Taylors Valley, Grayson, and Whitetop are connected by a network of rural roads and the Norfolk and Western railroad, which follows the winding course of Green Cove Creek. The landscape is a patchwork of public lands within the Jefferson National Forest and Cherokee National Forest, showing a clear record of local life through its numerous family cemeteries and country churches, such as the Mountain View Church and Fairview Ch. Evidence of local industry and subsistence is visible in the scattered strip mines and landmarks like the Farmers Store. The intricate drainage patterns of the South Fork and Gentry Creek illustrate the challenging geography that defined travel and settlement in this Appalachian corridor during the late 1950s.