2019 Map of Sitka

About this map

Wilbur and Davisville anchor a network of valley settlements in this contemporary study of the eastern Kentucky hills. The landscape is defined by its deep hollows and narrow creek-side corridors, where small towns like Winifred, Chandlerville, and Sitka followed the natural drainage of Brushy Cr and Hood Cr. The concentration of family-named landmarks, such as Wheeler Cem and the Marvin Sparks Cem, points to generations of local residency in the high ridges between Johnson Co and Lawrence Co. In the south, the terrain descends toward Lettered Rocks and Burchett Hollow, while the complex hydrology of Rockhouse Fork and Castle Fork dictates the winding path of modern rural roads. This documentation of the late 2010s captures the enduring settlement patterns of the Cumberland Plateau before further shifts in the local rural economy.