1953 Map of Winston-Salem

About this map

The Blue Ridge and Iron Mountains dominate this 1950s landscape, marking the transition from the North Carolina Piedmont into the Appalachian highlands of Virginia and Tennessee. Winston-Salem serves as the primary urban hub, with the Southern and Norfolk and Western railroads linking smaller industrial and tobacco centers like Mount Airy, Galax, and Elkin. The region’s water systems are well-defined, from the Yadkin River flowing through the Brushy Mountains to the New River and Holston River networks further west.