1959 Map of Park

About this map

Jefferson National Forest dominates the high elevations along the border of Virginia and North Carolina, where the Norfolk and Western railway snakes through the deep valley of Big Horse Creek. This 1959 survey provides a remarkably dense record of rural Appalachian settlement, revealing a landscape where community life was organized around small mountain churches and family cemeteries. Significant landmarks include the Nella (PO) and Apple Grove Post Office, alongside numerous spiritual centers like The Tabernacle and Sabbath Home Ch. The terrain is defined by prominent ridges such as Flat Top Ridge and Brier Ridge, with the higher peaks of Haw Orchard Mountain and Bluff Mountain framing the north. This map is an essential resource for genealogists, as it identifies dozens of family burial grounds, including the Osborne Cem, Blevins Cem, and Graybeal Cem, documenting the ancestral footprint of families near Helton and Tuckerdale.