Loading map...

1927 Map of Middlesboro

Name: 1927 Topographic Map of Middlesboro
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1955
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1955

About this map

Middlesboro anchors this 1920s topography, situated at the historic junction of Kentucky, Tennessee, and Virginia. The landscape is dominated by the massive ridge of Brush Mountain and the iconic passage at Cumberland Gap, overlooked by the heights of The Pinnacle. The map details a complex network of early 20th-century transportation and settlement, including the Louisville and Nashville RR and Southern Ry winding through the gaps.

Beyond the primary town, the map reveals a rural economy of small schools and local industry, featuring landmarks like Lincoln Memorial University and rural post offices at East Pineville Jayem PO and Gibson Station PO. Resource extraction and processing are evident near Ellison Mill and Allen Mill, while community life is traced through numerous mountain schoolhouses like Meldrum Sch and Forge Ridge Sch. The Cumberland River and Powell River carve through the deep ridges, defining the settlement patterns of this Appalachian corridor.