1969 Map of Hightown

About this map

Monongahela National Forest and George Washington National Forest meet along the high ridges of the Virginia and West Virginia border in this 1969 survey. The terrain is defined by the Eastern Continental Divide, with headwaters of the Jackson River and Back Creek carving deep valleys between North Fork Mountain and Monterey Mtn. The small settlement of Hightown sits near the summit of the divide, a point where water flows toward both the Atlantic and the Gulf of Mexico. Local history is preserved in the location of the Pisgah Ch and scattered Cem sites near Meadowdale, reflecting a landscape of high-altitude agriculture and timber. The map details a network of forest boundaries and jeep trails crossing over Vanderpool Gap and up to the Top of Allegheny, documenting the remote road systems of the late 1960s.