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1955 Map of Pennington Gap

Name: 1955 Topographic Map of Pennington Gap
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1956
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1956

About this map

The Louisville & Nashville RR and Southern Ry anchor the industrial landscape of the Virginia-Kentucky border, where coal mining operations like Nolansburg No 2 and Nolansburg No 4 drive the local economy. The terrain is defined by the sharp elevations of Little Black Mountain and Stone Mountain, with settlements such as St Charles, Bonny Blue, and Pennington Gap concentrated along the narrow valley floors.

Genealogists and local historians can trace many family-named landmarks and rural institutions, including the Munsey Cem, Belcher Chapel, and the Disney Sch. The map records an era of active mountain resource extraction, evidenced by features like a conveyor near Maness and the Pine Knob Lookout Tower standing guard over the Jefferson National Forest. The Powell River winds through the southern gaps, serving as a primary drainage for the complex network of hollows that defined community life in this portion of Lee County.