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1896 Map of Hillsville

Name: 1896 Topographic Map of Hillsville
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1940
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1940

About this map

Industrial furnaces and river crossings define this late-19th-century study of the Blue Ridge foothills. The New River serves as a central artery for commerce and transportation, supporting multiple early industrial sites like Radford Furnace, Barren Spg. Furnace, and Ivanhoe Furnace. To the west, the Norfolk and Western R.R. connects northern settlements such as Max Meadows and Grahams Forge to broader markets.

The landscape transitions from the iron-working hubs along the river to the agricultural and milling communities of Hillsville and Old Town. Numerous family-named landmarks and infrastructure points like Howards Ferry, Hawks Mill, and Spargers Mill illustrate a local economy tied to water power and early transit. High peaks and passes, including Fisher Peak and Fancy Gap, frame the Virginia-North Carolina boundary line, marking the geographic limits of these Appalachian communities.