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1915 Map of Whitesburg

Name: 1915 Topographic Map of Whitesburg
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1945
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1945

About this map

Whitesburg serves as the central hub of this 1913 survey, situated along the winding banks of the North Fork Kentucky River. The landscape is dominated by the massive ridge of Pine Mountain, which creates a natural barrier between the Kentucky and Cumberland River watersheds. This topography dictated the settlement patterns of early 20th-century Letcher County, with communities like Blackey, Indian Bottom, and Mayking following the narrow valley floors and creek beds.

Evidence of a highly localized rural infrastructure is found in the numbering of rural schools, ranging from School No 1 to School No 31, scattered throughout the hollows. Distinctive landmarks such as Camp Branch Chapel and high passes like Scuttlehole Gap provide essential reference points for genealogists tracing ancestral homesteads. The transition into the coal-producing regions is signaled by numerous small settlements and junctions like Craftsville and Deane, established before the expansion of modern highway networks.