1891 Map of Roanoke

About this map

Roanoke serves as the industrial and transportation hub on this late nineteenth-century survey, where the Norfolk and Western Railroad and the Shenandoah Valley Railroad converge. The landscape is defined by the early extraction economy of the Blue Ridge, evidenced by the Rorer Mines and Lynchburg Mines. To the north, the medicinal appeal of the region is noted at Cove Alum Sprs. and Botetourt Sprs., while the cultural landscape includes the Hollins Inst.. Moving south into Franklin and Bedford counties, the map reveals a rural network dependent on river crossings like Hales Bridge and Carters Island Ford. Local commerce centers on family-named landmarks such as Hendricks Store and various milling operations including Dillons Mill and Davis Mill, illustrating a period when the Staunton River and its tributaries were the primary lifelines for dispersed communities.