1896 Map of Wartburg

About this map

Cincinnati Southern RR tracks bisect this rugged section of the Cumberland Plateau, serving as a vital industrial artery for mountain settlements like Sunbright and Glenmary. Established during a period of planned colonization and industrial expansion, the map highlights unique communities such as the English utopian colony of Rugby near the Emory River. The landscape is defined by deep incisions from the Obed River and Clear Creek, creating dramatic terrain features like The Temple and Pilot Mountain. Numerous family-named hollows and coves, including Carpenter Hollow and Gwin Cove, indicate a pattern of scattered homesteading and early timber extraction. Major county seats and centers of trade like Wartburg and Jamestown anchor the region, while smaller vanished points like Genesis and Armathwaite reflect the early social geography of Fentress, Scott, and Morgan counties.