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1954 Map of Hurley

Name: 1954 Topographic Map of Hurley
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1955
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1955

About this map

The narrow valleys of the Cumberland Plateau define this 1954 topographic survey, where the Pike Co and Buchanan Co border meets the Kentucky Virginia state line. The landscape is dominated by the Norfolk and Western rail corridor, which snakes through the hills alongside Hurricane Creek and Middle Elk Creek. Small coal-era rail stops such as Argo, Burke Siding, and Bill Siding cluster along the tracks, serving as the primary hubs for these tightly wound hollows.

Local life in the mid-1950s was anchored by family-named landmarks and rural institutions, including the Hurricane Sch and Camp Creek Sch. The map reveals a high density of named branches and hollows, such as Mariah Fk and Owens Branch, reflecting a period when small-scale agriculture and timber were still deeply integrated with the region's burgeoning industrial rail economy. The presence of the Solomon Cem and various unnamed cemeteries provides specific points of interest for genealogists tracing families in this corner of the Appalachians.