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1959 Map of Whitetop Mountain

Name: 1959 Topographic Map of Whitetop Mountain
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1969
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1969

About this map

Mt Rogers and the surrounding peaks of the Jefferson National Forest dominate this landscape during a period of high-altitude mapping in southwest Virginia. This 1959 field examination captures the high ridges of Balsam Mountain and Iron Mountain, where the Appalachian Trail winds across the Tennessee Valley Divide. The map documents a rural mountain society organized around small churches and family burial grounds, such as Rowland Creek Church and Parker Chapel.

A distinct pattern of settlement is visible in the lower gaps and hollows, including the community of Stony Battery. Significant topographic markers like Wilburn Ridge and Elk Garden Ridge define the watershed for numerous creeks like Hurricane Creek and Helton Creek. This survey serves as a precise record of the Virginia highlands before modern development altered these remote mountain boundaries.