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1960 Map of Charlotte

Name: 1960 Topographic Map of Charlotte
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1960
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1960

About this map

The Piedmont region of North Carolina and South Carolina is captured here in the early 1960s, a period of significant industrial and infrastructural transition. Charlotte sits at the heart of a dense network of textile and manufacturing centers, including Kannapolis, Gastonia, and Salisbury. The landscape is defined by the massive reservoirs of the Catawba River and Yadkin River, such as Lake Norman and High Rock Lake, which fueled the region's hydroelectric power.

Transport is dominated by the Southern Railway and the emerging Interstate system, with Interstate 85 and Interstate 77 beginning to reshape travel through the corridor. The map preserves the footprint of several military and historical sites, including the Charlotte Naval Ammunition Depot and the Kings Mountain National Military Park. From the Blue Ridge Mountains in the west to the Uwharrie Mountains in the east, the sheet documents the topographic variety of the Carolina interior.