1942 Map of Blockhouse

About this map

Montvale Springs and the village of Blockhouse anchor this 1941 field examination of the Blount County foothills during a period of transition for the region. The landscape is defined by the parallel ridges of Pea Ridge and the massive Chilhowee Mountain, which served as a natural barrier between the agricultural valley and the emerging Great Smoky Mountains National Park. The settlement pattern follows the drainage of Pistol Creek and Ninemile Creek, where numerous small country churches and schools like Law Chapel Sch and Pleasant Hill Ch once served as the social centers for rural families. A notable feature is the Lookout Tower atop Look Rock, providing a strategic vantage point over the Sulphur Knobs. This survey documents several community burial grounds including College Cem and Sixmile Cem, essential landmarks for those tracing local family lineages in the shadow of the Smokies.