1940 Map of Indian Springs

About this map

Chestnut Ridge and the winding valley of Reedy Creek define the landscape along the Virginia Tennessee border just before the 1940s. This survey, conducted through a collaboration between the USGS and the Tennessee Valley Authority, captures a rural society organized around small crossroads settlements and community institutions. In the southern half of the sheet, the South Fork Holston River flows past industrial and agricultural markers like Pettyjohn Mill and Huddle Mill, while the central corridor is anchored by the Lee Highway. Educational life is well-documented through landmarks like Gunnings Academy and Cold Springs Sch, alongside a high density of country churches such as Harbor Chapel and Cox Chapel. The map is particularly useful for genealogists tracing family names in Bridwell Town, Ketrontown, and Thomas Heights.