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1921 Map of Wise

Name: 1921 Topographic Map of Wise
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1944
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1944

About this map

Wise (Gladeville) and Norton anchor this 1916 survey of Wise County, reflecting an era defined by the coal and timber industries of Southwest Virginia. The landscape is dominated by the ridges of Stone Mountain and Powell Mountain, while the industrial character of the region is evident in the dense network of the Interstate RR, Norfolk and Western, and Carolina Clinchfield and Ohio railroads. These lines connect numerous small mountain settlements such as Glamorgan, Dunbar, and Roaring Fork.

Remote rural life is documented through a high density of small schools and community landmarks, including Kelly View School, Black Creek School, and Cox Chapel. The map details the drainage patterns of the Guest River and the Clinch River, providing a topographical record of the terrain within the Jefferson National Forest before later 20th-century developments modified these Appalachian valleys.