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1943 Map of Ketner Gap

Name: 1943 Topographic Map of Ketner Gap
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1965
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1965

About this map

Sequatchie Valley and the formidable Cumberland Escarpment define the geography of this mid-century survey, conducted by the Tennessee Valley Authority and the U.S. Geological Survey. The valley floor is dotted with small agricultural and spiritual centers such as Powells Crossroads and Shirleyton, where community life was anchored by local institutions like Kelley Chapel and the Sulphur Springs Sch. A network of family-named cemeteries, including Grayson Cem and Pickett Cem, provides a detailed record of the area's early residents.

The dramatic rise of the plateau is crossed at Ketner Gap, a key mountain pass monitored by an Airway Beacon. On the highland side of the escarpment, more isolated settlements like Suck Creek Sch appear near the deep gorges of Suck Creek. The map documents the transportation infrastructure of 1943, featuring the Alvin York Highway and the Howard Taft Highway, tracing the movement of people and goods between the valley and the surrounding ridges.