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1954 Map of Mc Dowell

Name: 1954 Topographic Map of Mc Dowell
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1971
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1971

About this map

The Chesapeake and Ohio railroad corridor anchors this survey of eastern Kentucky, tracing the winding path of Beaver Creek through a landscape defined by narrow hollows and numerous local schools. In the early 1950s, the region's coal-based economy is evident at Drift and Price, where a Tipple and various mine-related structures sit alongside the rail lines. Small settlements like McDowell and Hi Hat serve as centers for these dispersed mountain communities, which supported an exceptional density of rural educational buildings, including the Mouth of Branham Creek Sch and Neck Branch Sch.

The map reveals a deeply etched topography where social life centered on institutions such as Zion Ch and Antioch Sch Ch. Genealogical researchers can locate numerous family burial plots labeled simply as Cem, tucked into the hillsides above branches like Tackett Branch and Frasure Branch. The intricate network of creek forks and gap crossings, such as Gap Fork, illustrates the traditional transportation patterns before modern highway expansion.