Page "McCreary County, Kentucky" Paragraph 23

McCreary and the southern reaches of Pulaski County represent the beginnings of the Cumberland Plateau and the Eastern Kentucky Coal Field region.

Most of the geological underpinning of this region is capped with thick sandstone, and formidable coal seams are common in this formation.

The terrain is sharply dissected by valleys and stream systems, and limited lands suitable for large-scale conventional agriculture exist.

Because of this, the economies of the area have historically been centered upon extractive industries such as timber and mining.