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1891 Map of Roanoke

Name: 1891 Topographic Map of Roanoke
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1907
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1907

About this map

Roanoke serves as the central hub of this late-nineteenth-century survey, where the Norfolk and Western Railroad and the Roanoke Belt Line converge. The landscape is defined by the heavy ridges of Tinker Mountain and the Peaks of Otter, creating a high-relief terrain that dictated early settlement and industry. To the southwest, the Rorer Mines suggest the region's mineral extraction history, while institutions like the Hollins Inst. at Botetourt Sprs. point toward the area's social development.

Fording sites such as Blackwater Ford and Webbs Ford illustrate the vital importance of the Roanoke River crossings before modern bridges were common. Small agrarian communities and local commerce centers are scattered throughout, including Taylors Store, Boons Mill, and Moneta. The map also captures numerous rural houses of worship, such as Emmans Church and Patmos Church, which served as the cornerstones of the local genealogy for families in Botetourt, Bedford, and Franklin counties.