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1942 Map of Big Spring

Name: 1942 Topographic Map of Big Spring
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1942
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1942

About this map

Chickamauga Lake dominates this Tennessee landscape, marking a period of significant hydraulic transformation as the Tennessee River and Hiwassee River converged into a vast reservoir system. The 1942 field examination captures the transition from riverine commerce to hydroelectric and recreational use, yet many older landmarks of the Tennessee Valley remain. Cotton Port Ferry still provides a crossing point near the Malaria Control Base, a reminder of the public health challenges during the reservoir's creation.

Local history is preserved through a dense network of family-named landmarks and rural institutions, including William Jennings Bryan University in the northwest. Genealogists can trace lineage through numerous rural burial grounds like Garrison Cem and Spence Cem, while the location of Frazier Sch and Garrison Sch indicate the distribution of historic farming communities along the slopes of Mt Carmel Ridge and the Hiwassee Slough.