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1974 Map of Varilla

Name: 1974 Topographic Map of Varilla
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1977
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1977

About this map

Cumberland Gap National Historical Park anchors the southern portion of this mid-1970s survey, marking the intersection of Kentucky, Virginia, and Tennessee. The landscape is dominated by the steep ridges of Cumberland Mountain and Brush Mountain, which dictate the settlement patterns of small communities like Varilla, Calvin, and Cubage. The area's industrial character is defined by extensive extraction operations, with numerous strip mines following the contours of the terrain near Sugarcamp and Black Mountain.

Transportation through these narrow valleys relies on the Louisville and Nashville RR following the Cumberland River corridor. Genealogy researchers will find numerous family-named landmarks and local sites, including the Oakdale Ch, Miracle Ch, and cemeteries such as Varilla Cem and Buell Cem, which provide a record of rural life before modern development altered the coal-rich highlands of Bell and Harlan counties.