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1950 Map of Obey City

Name: 1950 Topographic Map of Obey City
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1950
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1950

About this map

The Cumberland Plateau defines this mid-century landscape in Overton County, characterized by a complex network of ridges and hollows that historically dictated settlement patterns. The Tennessee Central railroad cuts through the center of the sheet, connecting industrial outposts like Obey City and Cliff Springs. This transportation corridor was vital for the region's extraction and timber economies, as evidenced by the numerous hollows named for specific local camps and resources, such as Sunk Mill Hollow and Peachstone Camp Hollow.

Local life centered on small rural institutions scattered across the high ground. Community landmarks include Hanging Limb and Hargiss, while numerous houses of worship like Buckner Chapel and Union Point Church served the surrounding family farms. Educational history is preserved through the locations of the Thompson Flat Sch and Sunk Cane Sch. Water features like the Obey River and Little Hurricane Creek carved deep valleys into the plateau, creating the distinctive topography seen in Laboring Backbone and Gunter Mountain.