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1940 Map of Bearden

Name: 1940 Topographic Map of Bearden
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1940
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1940

About this map

Blackoak Ridge and Hinds Ridge dominate this topography of western Knox County, where the Tennessee Valley Authority and USGS documented the landscape just as the Fort Loudoun Reservoir was being planned. The Southern Railway corridor serves as a primary axis, connecting settlements like Bearden, Byington, and Amherst. This era captures a transition from rural agricultural land to early suburban expansion, evidenced by the clustered residential names like Westmoreland Heights and Meadowbrook.

Local landmarks such as Willowbrook Mill and a Papermill underscore the area's industrial roots, while numerous community centers like Cedar Springs Church, Ebenezer Church, and Karns School provide significant points of interest for genealogists. The map also records early regional transportation routes including the Lee Highway and Emory Road, which carved paths through the distinctive limestone ridges and gaps of the Great Valley.