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1954 Map of Jenkins West

Name: 1954 Topographic Map of Jenkins West
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1979
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1979

About this map

The coalfield landscape of the Cumberland Plateau is on full display here, where the Chesapeake and Ohio railroad snakes through narrow valleys to serve a string of mining towns. The geography is dominated by Pine Mountain along the southern border, which forms the boundary between Kentucky and Virginia at Pound Gap. The settlement pattern is dictated by the steep topography, with communities like Neon, Fleming, and McRoberts clustered along the forks of the Elkhorn Creek and its many branches.

Surface mining activity is noted by numerous Strip Mine and Strip Mines labels, while the presence of the Jefferson National Forest provides a sharp contrast to the industrial character of the region. Local community life is documented through features like the Drive-in Theater near Neon Junction, several rural schools such as the Haymond Sch, and the Elizabeth Ch. For genealogists and researchers, the map preserves the exact locations of many family and community cemeteries scattered across the hillsides above the creek bottoms.