1959 Map of Kayjay

About this map

Pine Mountain and the Log Mountains dominate this Cumberland Plateau landscape, where the coal economy of the late 1950s is etched into the topography. The mining community of Kayjay sits at the northern edge of the map, served by the Nashville and Louisville RR, while extensive strip mines follow the high ridges nearby. In the valleys, a network of country schools like Buckeye Sch and Pine Grove Sch served remote settlements such as Davisburg and Chenoa. The map reveals the early footprint of the Kentucky State Forest, punctuated by the Kentucky Ridge Lookout Tower. Water resources are central to the terrain, from Chenoa Lake to the drainage of the Clear Fork. This survey documents a transition period as large-scale industrial extraction reshaped the ancient ridges while traditional hollow communities, centered around churches like Centennial Ch, still defined the social geography of Bell County.