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1891 Map of Jonesville

Name: 1891 Topographic Map of Jonesville
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1910
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1910

About this map

Cumberland Mountain and Pine Mountain dominate this late 19th-century landscape, where the jagged borders of Kentucky, Virginia, and Tennessee meet. The settlement of Jonesville sits in the heart of the Powell Valley, a region defined by its reliance on river crossings and mountain gaps before the widespread arrival of modern infrastructure. Along the Powell River, early transportation is marked by numerous river crossings such as Poteet Ford and Dickerson Ford.

To the north, Mt Pleasant (Harlan) and the Cumberland River anchor the Kentucky side, while the Tennessee portion features Sneedville near the Clinch River. For genealogists, the map preserves specific points of entry and family-named landmarks like Grays Knob, Rose Hill, and Jabez Knob. The convergence of these three states reveals a complex network of ridges, including Big Black Mountain and Powell Mountain, which dictated the isolation and growth of early Appalachian communities.