History :

The Cumberland Plateau is a deeply dissected plateau, with topographic relief commonly of about four hundred feet (120 meters), and frequent sandstone outcroppings and bluffs. Many coal seams are present in the area causing the area to be heavily mined. The hills in the western most areas of the plateau have a relief of around 200 feet. The sedimentary rocks are composed of near shore sediments washed westward from the original Appalachian Mountains. Though the plateau is not composed of true mountains it has some of the most rugged terrain in the eastern United States. As is the case in Brookside, inhabitants mostly live in very narrow V-shaped valleys with little bottom land. Buildings and roads built along the bottom of the valley are susceptible to floods, while any structures on the steep slopes are subject to slumping. Roads are serious engineering challenges, and expensive to maintain. There are few locations available for agriculture; most people make their livelihoods from mining, timbering, or services. The plateau contains some of the largest stretches of contiguous forest in the eastern United States evident throughout the less populated areas of Brookside.