1935 Map of Burningtown Bald

About this map

Wayah Bald Fire Tower stands as a central landmark in this 1930s survey of the Nantahala National Forest along the border of Macon and Clay counties. The landscape is defined by the high-elevation crests of the Appalachian Trail, which traverses numerous named gaps and peaks including Burningtown Bald and Wine Spring Bald. Human activity is concentrated in the lower coves and gaps, where the small community of Kyle sits near Kyle Sch and Mt Sinai Ch serves the eastern valleys. Early industrial efforts are noted with the Corundum No 1 and Copper Knob mines, indicating the mineral extraction history of the Blue Ridge. The map details an intricate network of waterways like Burningtown Creek and Roaring Fork, showing how early settlement patterns followed these drainages between the high ridges of Ben Mountain and Whiteoak Ridge.