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1935 Map of Hayters Gap

Name: 1935 Topographic Map of Hayters Gap
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1935
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1935

About this map

The North Fork Holston River carves a central path through this corner of Southwest Virginia, separating the prominent heights of Clinch Mountain and Little Mountain from the fertile valley floors. The landscape is defined by its ridge-and-valley structure, with Poor Valley and Rich Valley providing the primary corridors for early 20th-century settlement and transit. These agricultural pockets supported small, tight-knit communities such as Glenford, Lindell, and Shortsville, each anchored by essential local institutions like the Maiden Falls Sch and Wesley Chapel.

Local industry is visibly tied to the area's water sources, with historic milling sites including Whites Mill and Giesler Mill positioned along the creeks. In the south, the Norfolk and Western railroad runs parallel to the Old Salt Works Road, signaling the importance of regional trade and salt extraction history. Numerous family-named schools and churches, such as McCray Chapel and Oakdale Sch, are scattered throughout the hollows, offering valuable data for genealogical research in this mountain region.