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1938 Map of Shady Valley

Name: 1938 Topographic Map of Shady Valley
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1955
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1955

About this map

Shady Valley sits in a high mountain basin where Beaverdam Creek winds through a landscape defined by small rural schools and timbered ridges during the late 1930s. The settlement pattern here is deeply tied to the terrain, with family-named landmarks like the Montgomery Cem and Denton Valley Sch serving as anchors for the local community. The presence of C C C Camp Shelby west of the valley reflects New Deal-era infrastructure work within the Holston National Forest, while the Lookout Tower on Mc Queen Knob suggests a landscape managed for fire protection.

Industrial and agricultural life is evident at Falls Mill along the South Fork Holston River, which marks the northwestern edge of the map near the Virginia-Tennessee state line. To the east, the transition into the Jefferson National Forest is marked by steep ridges such as Swanagan Mtn and Brinkley Ridge, where small branches like Marriage Ground Branch and David Branch drain the Iron Mountains.