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1938 Map of Holston Valley

Name: 1938 Topographic Map of Holston Valley
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1952
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1952

About this map

The South Fork Holston River snakes through the valley floor, creating distinctive geography like the Horseshoe Bend and the Osceola Island near the Bristol Water Works. This 1938 field study by the Tennessee Valley Authority reveals a landscape of ridge-top lookouts and narrow hollows along the Virginia and Tennessee border. The rugged terrain is defined by the Paperville Knobs and the towering Holston Mountain, which rises above a network of family-named landmarks and rural institutions.

Social and civic life is anchored by dispersed settlements like Holston Valley and Emmett, with schools and churches such as New Bethel Sch and Rosedale Ch serving the upland communities. Early transportation and industry are evidenced by Shady Ford and Wood Mill, while the presence of Stuffels Cem and Brown Cem provides valuable points of reference for genealogical research in this Appalachian borderland.