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1952 Map of Lake City

Name: 1952 Topographic Map of Lake City
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1968
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1968

About this map

The steep terrain of Walden Ridge and Vowell Mountain defines the landscape west of Lake City, where a legacy of intensive coal mining is etched into the topography. This mid-century survey documents the dense network of industrial settlements and family landmarks that populated the narrow valleys of Poplar Creek and the Clinch River. The map highlights the social fabric of these communities through numerous small churches like Willow Brook Church and schools such as Rush Strong School.

Resource extraction is central to the area's development, evidenced by the Coal deposits near Fraterville and the settlement of Minersville. Genealogists will find a wealth of specific data in the numerous family-named burial grounds, including the Miners Circle Cemetery, McGhee Cemetery, and Stair Cemetery. The transportation corridor is anchored by the Southern and Louisville and Nashville railroads, which facilitated the movement of coal from the mountain hollows to larger markets.