Loading map...

1967 Map of Birchwood

Name: 1967 Topographic Map of Birchwood
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1970
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1970

About this map

White Oak Mountain anchors the southern portion of this landscape, its ridges punctuated by landmarks like Tallaferro Gap and Bargen Knob. The terrain is defined by a series of parallel ridges and hollows, including Burdette Ridge and Humphreys Ridge, which channel the various branches of Gunstocker Creek toward the Hiwassee River. To the north, the waters of Chickamauga Lake spill into sloughs and branches, creating the habitat of the Hiwassee Wildlife Refuge near Jewell Bluff.

Family history is deeply embedded in the rural layout, with numerous small burial grounds such as Hinkle Cemetery, Gamble Cem, and Francisco Cem scattered between the primary settlements of Birchwood and Georgetown. The presence of the Meadowview Sch and several country churches like Smith Chapel and East View Church suggests a community organized around family homesteads and local roads like Old Highway 58. The map documents a transition from the elevated timbered knobs to the low-lying lake margins.