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1939 Map of Speedwell

Name: 1939 Topographic Map of Speedwell
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1939
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1939

About this map

Wytheville serves as the focal point of this late 1930s survey, showing a landscape defined by the ridgelines of Little Walker Mtn and Henley Mountain. The region’s industrial and agricultural activity is traced along the Norfolk and Western RR, with technical infrastructure like Government Siding providing evidence of logistical operations in the valley. To the south, the Jefferson National Forest covers significant terrain, where a segment of the Appalachian Trail crosses through Wythe Co toward Grayson Co.

Rural life is deeply documented through a dense network of mountain schools and churches. From Rowe Crossroads to the historic Little Wythe Furnace, the map illustrates a network of small communities like Petunia, Speedwell, and Favonia. Genealogists will find particular value in the numerous family-linked landmarks and educational sites such as Cedar Hill Sch, Kegley Sch, and St Johns Ch that supported these Appalachian settlements.