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1955 Map of Keokee

Name: 1955 Topographic Map of Keokee
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1956
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1956

About this map

Stone Mountain and Black Mountain define the corridor of this 1955 survey, where the coal-driven economies of Virginia and Kentucky meet along a complex network of ridges. The industrial character of the mid-century landscape is evident in the numerous Strip mines dotting the slopes above Calvin and Keokee. Transport is dominated by the Louisville and Nashville and Southern railroads, which thread through narrow gaps to serve remote settlements.

Social centers are anchored by local landmarks such as Robbins Chapel School and Ely Memorial Church, while the historic The Lonesome Pine Trail follows the base of Poor Valley. Family-named hollows like Marcum Hollow and Craft Hollow reflect a deeply rooted genealogical history. From the heights of the Olinger Lookout Tower down to the valley floor at Dryden, the map preserves a specific moment when rail and resource extraction shaped every corner of these mountain communities.