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1954 Map of Nolansburg

Name: 1954 Topographic Map of Nolansburg
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1966
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1966

About this map

The Cumberland River and its Poor Fork define the industrial and social corridor of this mid-century Harlan County landscape. The Louisville and Nashville line tracks the river valley, serving a string of coal-country settlements including Nolansburg (Splint PO), Laden, Dillon, and Shields. On the southern edge of the sheet, Clover Fork hosts concentrated development at Highsplint, Ridgeway, and Gano (Lejunior PO).

Rising above these narrow valleys, the massive ridges of Pine Mountain and Black Mountain enclose the Kentenia State Forest. Traces of mountain life are found at high elevations, such as the Little Laurel Community Ch and the Lookout Tower on Pine Mountain. The map captures the physical footprint of the region's resource-driven economy, from the Harlan Airport near Putney to the numerous mountain gaps like Jacks Gap and Shell Gap that provided essential passage through the steep terrain.