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1955 Map of Johnson City

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

USGS Topo · Published 1955

About this map

Cumberland Mountains and the long, parallel ridges of the Appalachians dominate this mid-century view of the Tri-Cities and East Tennessee. The landscape is defined by massive river impoundments, including Norris Reservoir, Cherokee Reservoir, and South Holston Lake, which reshaped the valleys of the Clinch River and Holston River during the era of hydroelectric development. Major industrial and transit hubs like Johnson City, Kingsport, and Bristol anchor the region, connected by the Southern and Louisville and Nashville railroads.

Grounding the map's northern edge are the coal-producing regions near Middlesboro and the Cumberland Gap National Historical Park, where the borders of Kentucky, Tennessee, and Virginia meet. The transit network follows the grain of the land, with the Andrew Johnson Highway and Lee Highway cutting through the valleys between Clinch Mountain and the Bays Mountains. This survey captures the post-war expansion of the Tennessee Valley, showing the balance between the managed waters of the TVA and the vast tracts of the Jefferson National Forest and Cherokee National Forest.