A draft is a regional American term for a geographical feature. A draft is a gorge, gully, ravine, or valley that contains a small river or creek.[1][2] The term is commonly used near the Appalachian Moutains of north-central Pennsylvania and near the border of Virginia and West Virginia.[1] Jan DeBlieu notes that the term is rarely used outside of these three locations.[1]
Other regional terms for geographical features that are similar to a draft include cove, draw, glen, gorge, gulch, and hollow. The term cove is used in the Great Smokey Mountains of Westerh North Carolina and East Tennessee and is "a sheltered valley mainly or entirely enclosed by ridges and having a relatively level floor, arable land, and a single drainage outlet".[3]
In many cases, the geographical draft became part of the name of an area. For example, Ramseys Draft Wilderness in the George Washington National Forest of Virginia includes the geographical feature, Ramseys Draft.[1] Stuarts Draft is a census-designated place in Augusta County, Virginia.[4] It was named for Thomas Stuart, an early land owner in the area, and for its small valley, historically called a draft.[2]
In a few cases, the draft's name has shifted from the valley to its stream, such as Hughes Draft (also known as Hughes Creek) in Alleghany County, Vriginia; Jericho Draft in Greenbrier County, West Virginia; and Whitehead Draft in Clearfield County, Pennsylvania.[5][6][7] Sometimes the same name refers to both a valley and a creek, such as Back Draft in Pocahontas County, West Virginia.[8][9]
List of Drafts
editFollowing is a list of drafts found in United States Geological Survey topographic maps and publications, unless otherwise indicated.[10]
| Place name | Feature type | County | State | References |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Back Draft | Valley | Bath County | Virginia | [11] |
| Back Draft (aka Jenny Gwin Draft) | Valley | Highland County | Virginia | [12] |
| Back Draft | Stream | Pocahontas County | West Virginia | [9] |
| Back Draft | Valley | Pocahontas County | West Virginia | [8] |
| Baker Draft | Valley | Augusta County | Virginia | [13] |
| Barracks Draft | Valley | Highland County | Virginia | [14] |
| Baughman Draft | Valley | Webster County | West Virginia | [15] |
| Bear Draft | Valley | Augusta County | Virginia | [16] |
| Bee Tree Draft | Valley | Clinton County | Pennsylvania | [17] |
| Bell Draft | Valley | Elk County | Pennsylvania | [18] |
| Big Draft | Valley | Greenbrier County | West Virginia | [19] |
| Big Draft Run | Stream | Greenbrier County | West Virginia | [20] |
| Big Draft Wilderness | Land reserve | Greenbrier County | West Virginia | [21] |
| Big Lick Draft | Valley | Bath County | Virginia | [22] |
| Big Spring Draft | Valley | Cameron County | Pennsylvania | [23] |
| Black Gum Draft | Valley | Highland County | Virginia | [24] |
| Bloom Draft | Valley | Centre County | Pennsylvania | [25] |
| Bolar Draft (aka Boler's Draft, Bolers Draft, and Bollers Draft) | Valley | Bath County | Virginia | |
| Briery Draft | Valley | Highland County | Virginia | |
| Broad Draft | Valley | Augusta County | Virginia | |
| Buckhorn Draft (aka Buck Lick Hollow) | Valley | Bath County | Virginia | |
| Carroll Draft | Stream | Highland County | Virginia | |
| Chadwick Draft | Valley | Cameron County | Pennsylvania | |
| Chair Draft | Valley | Augusta County | Virginia | |
| Chapin Draft | Valley | Augusta County | Virginia | |
| Claylick Draft | Valley | Bath County | Virginia | |
| Cole Draft | Valley | Elk County | Pennsylvania | |
| Dowells Draft (aka Dowell Draft) | Valley | Augusta County | Virginia | |
| Dry Draft | Valley | Clearfield County | Pennsylvania | |
| East Branch Dowells Draft | Valley | Augusta County | Virginia | |
| English Draft | Valley | Elk County | Pennsylvania | |
| Epling Draft (aka Jacob Epling Draft) | Valley | Giles County | Virginia | [26] |
| Epling Draft (aka White Rock Branch) | Stream | Giles County | Virginia | [27] |
| Erwin Draft | Valley | Highland County | Virginia | |
| Foley Draft | Valley | Cameron County | Pennsylvania | |
| Frames Draft | Valley | Augusta County | Virginia | |
| Gore Draft | Valley | Cameron County | Pennsylvania | |
| Gorman Draft | Valley | Lycoming County | Pennsylvania | |
| Grassy Field Hollow | Valley | Highland County | Virginia | |
| Gum Draft | Valley | Clinton County | Pennsylvania | |
| Hamilton Draft (aka Hamilton Branch) | Stream | Augusta County | Virginia | |
| Hamilton Draft (aka Broadway) | Flat | Augusta County | Virginia | |
| Hamilton Draft | Valley | Highland County | Virginia | |
| Hamiton Draft (aka Hamiton Branch) | Stream | Augusta County | Virginia | |
| Hickman Draft (aka Hicklins Draft) | Valley | Bath County | Virginia | |
| Hickman Draft | Valley | Augusta County | Virginia | |
| Hodges Draft | Valley | Augusta County | Virginia | |
| Holloway Draft | Valley | Augusta County | Virginia | |
| Hughes Draft (aka Hughes Creek) | Stream | Alleghany County | Virginia | [5] |
| Hulit Draft | Stream | Highland County | Virginia | |
| Hulit Draft | Valley | Highland County | Virginia | |
| Humphreys Draft | Valley | Greenbrier County | West Virginia | |
| Indian Draft | Valley | Alleghany County | Virginia | |
| Indian Draft | Valley | Bath County | Virginia | |
| Indian Draft | Valley | Monroe County | West Virginia | |
| Ingram Draft | Valley | Rockbridge County | Virginia | |
| Jacob Epling Draft (aka Epling Draft) | Valley | Giles County | Virginia | |
| Jenny Gwin Draft (aka Back Draft) | Valley | Highland County | Virginia | [28] |
| Jericho Draft | Stream | Greenbrier County | West Virginia | [6] |
| John Bolar Draft | Valley | Bath County | Virginia | |
| Johnson Draft | Valley | Augusta County | Virginia | |
| Jonas Draft | Valley | Augusta County | Virginia | |
| Kennedy Draft | Valley | Augusta County | Virginia | |
| Kenilworth Draft (aka Grassy Field Hollow) | Valley | Highland County | Virginia | |
| Knox Lick Draft | Valley | Highland County | Virginia | |
| Laurel Draft | Valley | Cameron County | Pennsylvania | |
| Laurel Swamp Draft | Valley | Clearfield County | Pennsylvania | |
| Layton Draft | Valley | Lycoming County | Pennsylvania | |
| Left Fork Holloway Draft (aka Cowpasture Branch) | Valley | Augusta County | Virginia | |
| Left Fork Tims Draft (aka Left Prong Tims Draft) | Valley | Augusta County | Virginia | |
| Left Prong Ramseys Draft | Valley | Augusta County | Virginia | |
| Lick Draft | Valley | Highland County | Virginia | |
| Lick Draft (aka Dry Hollow) | Valley | Lycoming County | Pennsylvania | |
| Little Fork Draft | Valley | Cameron County | Pennsylvania | |
| Lucy Draft | Valley | Pocahontas County | West Virginia | |
| Marshall Draft | Valley | Bath County | Virginia | |
| Martins Draft (aka Mortons Draft) | Valley | Highland County | Virginia | |
| Mays Draft | Stream | Greenbrier County | West Virginia | |
| McCrays Draft | Valley | Highland County | Virginia | |
| Meadow Draft | Valley | Highland County | Virginia | |
| Monroe Draft (aka Organ Cave) | Valley | Greenbrier County | West Virginia | |
| Moore Draft | Valley | Cameron County | Pennsylvania | |
| Mortons Draft (aka Martins Draft) | Valley | Highland County | Virginia | |
| Mudlick Draft (aka Grassy Field Hollow) | Valley | Highland County | Virginia | |
| Nelson Draft | Valley | Highland County | Virginia | |
| Olive Draft | Valley | Tioga County | Pennsylvania | |
| O'Roarke Draft | Valley | Bath County | Virginia | |
| Panther Gap Draft | Valley | Bath County | Virginia | |
| Peace Valley Draft | Valley | Howell County | Missouri | |
| Pine Draft Run | Stream | Hampshire County | West Virginia | |
| Polecat Draft (aka Crawford Depot) | Valley | Augusta County | Virginia | |
| Poor Farm Draft | Valley | Augusta County | Virginia | |
| Poormans Draft | Valley | Cameron County | Pennsylvania | |
| Porcupine Draft | Valley | Elk County | Pennsylvania | |
| Post Draft | Valley | Clinton County | Pennsylvania | |
| Proctor Draft | Valley | Bath County | Virginia | |
| Ramseys Draft (aka Ramsey Draft) | Valley | Augusta County | Virginia | [1] |
| Ramseys Draft Wilderness | Land reserve | Augusta County | Virginia | [29] |
| Rayburn Draft (aka Rayburns Draft) | Valley | Monroe County | West Virginia | |
| Reubens Draft | Valley | Augusta County | Virginia | |
| Rider Draft | Valley | Clearfield County | Pennsylvania | |
| Right Fork Tims Draft (aka Tims Draft Right Prong) | Valley | Augusta County | Virginia | |
| Right Prong Ramseys Draft | Valley | Augusta County | Virginia | |
| Rocky Draft | Valley | Cameron County | Pennsylvania | |
| Ruckman Draft (aka Ruckman Run) | Valley | Highland County | Virginia | [30] |
| Sanders Draft | Valley | Cameron County | Pennsylvania | |
| Sanders Draft | Valley | Elk County | Pennsylvania | |
| Schnarr Draft | Valley | Clearfield County | Pennsylvania | |
| Scotchtown Draft (aka Scotch Town Draft) | Valley | Bath County | Virginia | |
| Shadrach Draft | Valley | Lycoming County | Pennsylvania | |
| Shaffer Draft | Valley | Elk County | Pennsylvania | |
| Short Draft Branch | Stream | Fulton County | Arkansas | |
| Slaty Lick Draft | Valley | Bath County | Virginia | |
| Slide Island Draft | Valley | Tioga County | Pennsylvania | |
| Smoke Draft | Valley | Cameron County | Pennsylvania | |
| Staples Draft (aka Staples Hollow) | Valley | Augusta County | Virginia | |
| Starey Draft | Valley | Augusta County | Virginia | |
| Steel Lick Draft | Valley | Augusta County | Virginia | |
| Stillhouse Draft (aka Stillhouse Run) | Stream | Highland County | Virginia | |
| Stony Pitch Draft | Valley | Cameron County | Pennsylvania | |
| Stuarts Draft | Valley | Augusta County | Virginia | [2] |
| Stuarts Draft | Populated place | Augusta County | Virginia | [2][4] |
| Sues Draft (aka Sidbert Run) | Valley | Highland County | Virginia | |
| Sugar Tree Draft | Valley | Highland County | Virginia | |
| Swamp Draft | Valley | Clinton County | Pennsylvania | |
| Tarkiln Draft | Valley | Pike County | Pennsylvania | |
| Thacker Draft | Valley | Greenbrier County | West Virginia | |
| Thurston Draft | Valley | Lycoming County | Pennsylvania | |
| Tims Draft | Valley | Augusta County | Virginia | |
| Tom Lee Draft | Valley | Augusta County | Virginia | |
| Townsend Draft | Valley | Highland County | Virginia | |
| Upper Pine Draft | Valley | Cameron County | Pennsylvania | |
| Valley Draft | Valley | Pocahontas County | West Virginia | |
| Waids Draft (aka Wades Draft) | Valley | Greenbrier County | West Virginia | |
| Wallace Draft | Valley | Augusta County | Virginia | |
| White Oak Draft (aka Buckhorn Creek) | Valley | Augusta County | Virginia | |
| White Oak Draft | Valley | Cameron County | Pennsylvania | |
| White Oak Draft | Valey | Highland County | Virginia | |
| White Rock Branch | Stream | Giles County | Virginia | |
| Whitehead Draft | Stream | Clearfield County | Pennsylvania | [7] |
| Whites Draft | Valley | Greenbrier County | West Virginia | |
| Whitmans Draft (aka Whitmans Run) | Valley | Greenbrier County | West Virginia | |
| Wide Draft | Valley | Highland County | Virginia | |
| Wide Draft Hollow | Valley | Bath County | Virginia | |
| Wolfe Draft | Valley | Highland County | Virginia | |
| Wolfpen Draft | Valley | Augusta County | Virginia | |
| Wood Draft (aka Woods Draft) | Valley | Augusta County | Virginia | |
| Woodley Draft | Valley | Clinton County | Pennsylvania |
References
edit- ^ a b c d e DeBlieu, Jan (2006). "Draft". In Lopez, Barry; Gwartney, Debra (eds.). Home Grown: Language for an American Landscape. San Antonia: Trinity University Press.
In two distinct regions of the country, a gully, gorge, or steep ravine that contains a creek or small river is known as a draft. ...The term is commonly applied in the mountains of north-central Pennsylvania and the deeply folded Appalachian peaks near the Virginia-West Virginia border, and about nowhere else.
- ^ a b c d Catlett, Clay; Fishburne, Elliott G. (January 1928). "An Economic and Social Survey of Augusta County". University of Virginia Record Extension Series. 12 (7): 24–25.
- ^ "Cove | Southern Appalachian English". University of South Carolina College of Arts and Sciences. Retrieved 2024-03-28.
- ^ a b "U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts: Stuarts Draft CDP, Virginia". www.census.gov. Retrieved 2024-03-29.
- ^ a b "Feature Details: Hughes Draft | Geographic Names Information System". United States Geological Survey. Retrieved 2024-03-30.
- ^ a b "Feature Details: Jericho Draft". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey. Retrieved 2024-03-30.
- ^ a b "Feature Details: Whitehead Draft" Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey. Retrieved 2024-03-30.
- ^ a b "Feature Details: Back Draft (Valley)". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey. Retrieved 2024-03-30.
- ^ a b "Feature Details: Back Draft (Stream)". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey. Retrieved 2024-03-30.
- ^ ""Draft" | Geographic Names Information System". United States Geological Survey. Retrieved 2024-03-29.
- ^ "Feature Details: Back Draft (Bath County)". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey. Retrieved 2024-03-30.
- ^ "Feature Details: Baracks Draft (Highland County)". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey. Retrieved 2024-03-30.
- ^ "Feature Details: Baker Draft". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey. Retrieved 2024-03-30.
- ^ "Feature Details: Baracks Draft". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey. Retrieved 2024-03-30.
- ^ "Baughman Draft". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey. Retrieved 2024-04-07.
- ^ "Bear Draft". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey. Retrieved 2024-04-07.
- ^ "Bee Tree Draft". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey. Retrieved 2024-04-07.
- ^ "Bell Draft". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey. Retrieved 2024-04-07.
- ^ "Big Draft". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey. Retrieved 2024-04-07.
- ^ "Big Draft Run". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey. Retrieved 2024-04-07.
- ^ "Big Draft Wilderness". USDA Forest Service. Retrieved March 28, 2024.
- ^ "Big Lick Draft". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey. Retrieved 2024-04-07.
- ^ "Big Spring Draft". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey. Retrieved 2024-04-07.
- ^ "Black Gum Draft". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey. Retrieved 2024-04-07.
- ^ "Bloom Draft". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey. Retrieved 2024-04-07.
- ^ "Feature Details: Epling Draft (Valley)". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey. Retrieved 2024-03-30.
- ^ "Feature Details: White Rock Branch". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey. Retrieved 2024-03-30.
- ^ "Feature Details: Jenny Gwin Draft". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey. Retrieved 2024-03-30.
- ^ "Ramseys Draft Wilderness Study Area and Addition, Virginia". U.S. Geological Survey. Retrieved 2024-03-28.
- ^ "Feature Details: Ruckman Draft" | Geographic Names Information System". United States Geological Survey. Retrieved 2024-03-30.