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1953 Map of Knoxville

Name: 1953 Topographic Map of Knoxville
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1955
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1955

About this map

The Tennessee River snakes through the heart of this mid-century urban landscape, where the rising waters of Fort Loudoun Lake meet a thriving rail and educational hub. The Southern Railway and the Coster Yards dominate the northern corridor, serving a city defined by established institutions like the University of Tennessee and Knoxville College. Residential patterns are clearly etched into the terrain, from the historic plots of Old Gray Cemetery to the post-war expansion in Middlebrook Heights and Lake Forest.

Industry and public services are concentrated near the riverbanks, including the Water works and the Eastern State Hospital. Leisure sites like Chilhowee Park and Shields-Watkins Field reflect the city's social character, while the surrounding ridges, such as Brown Mountain and Sharp Ridge, provide a natural boundary to the burgeoning urban core. The map preserves the exact locations of numerous neighborhood schools and churches, such as Beardsley School and Mount Pleasant Church, that formed the backbone of local communities.