Loading map...

1953 Map of Burns

Name: 1953 Topographic Map of Burns
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1987
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1987

About this map

Montgomery Bell State Park dominates the eastern portion of this Tennessee landscape, centered around the community of Burns. The terrain is defined by the Tennessee Divide, which separates the drainages of Jones Creek and Pump Spring Creek in a network of named hollows like Wildcat Hollow and Luther Hollow. The rail economy of the mid-20th century is evident through the Seaboard line, which cuts through the ridge at McNair Cut and passes through the village of Colesburg.

Social and civic life is anchored by numerous small landmarks, including the Camp Ground Ch and Acorn Hill Ch, alongside family burial grounds such as Gillian Chapel Cem and Dugan Cem. Cultural shifts are captured in the later revisions, showing the Drive-In Theater and the development of Gentry Park, while the remnants of local industry are seen at the Limestone site. The map traces the transition from rural farming tracts to a landscape increasingly shaped by recreation and transportation infrastructure.