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1955 Map of Keokee

Name: 1955 Topographic Map of Keokee
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1978
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1978

About this map

Stone Mountain and the high ridges of Little Black Mountain dominate this central Appalachian landscape along the Kentucky and Virginia border. In the mid-1950s, the region's character was defined by narrow valley settlements like Keokee, Calvin, and Dryden that were threaded together by the Louisville and Nashville and Southern railroads. These lines transported coal and timber out of the steep hollows, such as Colliers Cove and Holmes Hollow, while the Trail of the Lonesome Pine provided a historic overland route through Poor Valley.

Social life in these mountain communities centered on small rural institutions, including Robbins Chapel School and Green Hill Church. The topography is marked by significant gaps like Trace Gap and Scott Gap, which served as critical passage points between the rugged ridges of Jefferson National Forest. From the heights of Olinger Lookout Tower, the map reveals a complex drainage network feeding into the Powell River, illustrating the deep connection between the terrain and the region's development.