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1894 Map of Natural Bridge

Name: 1894 Topographic Map of Natural Bridge
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1920
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1920

About this map

Covington and Clifton Forge serve as central nodes in this late nineteenth-century portrait of Virginia's mountain industrial corridor. The landscape is defined by the extraction and processing of iron, evidenced by the Victoria Mines, Long Dale Mines, and smelting operations at Princess Furnace and Long Dale Furnace. These industrial sites are linked by the Chesapeake and Ohio Railroad, which follows the complex water gaps of the Jackson River and James River.

Beyond the heavy industry, the map documents a network of mineral springs and early tourism, featuring Hot Springs, Healing Springs, and Cold Sulphur Springs. The terrain is characterized by massive ridges like Potts Mountain and Warm Springs Mountain, while local transportation relied on river crossings such as the Lick Run Ferry and Island Ford. This survey captures the transition of the region from a wilderness of named gaps and knobs to a vital mining and transit artery.