Loading map...

1935 Map of Blockhouse

Name: 1935 Topographic Map of Blockhouse
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1935
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1935

About this map

The Tennessee Valley Authority and U.S. Geological Survey collaborated on this 1935 study of the Blount County foothills just as the Great Smoky Mountains National Park was being established. The landscape is a network of small agricultural and mountain communities, defined by the transition from the city of Maryville into the high ridges of Chilhowee Mountain. Rural life is anchored by numerous country churches and schools, such as Piney Grove Ch and the Chilhowee View Sch.

Water plays a central role in the geography of the era, with Crooked Creek and its many forks draining the slopes toward the valley. The presence of Montvale Springs and Sidney Lanier Lake highlights the region's early 20th-century character as a mountain retreat. Further south, the map details the early boundaries of the National Park, including landmarks like Ellis Knob and the Lookout Tower, which served as vital points for forest management before the full maturation of the park's infrastructure.