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2018 Map of Chavies

Name: 2018 Topographic Map of Chavies
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 2018
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 2018

About this map

Sand Mountain dominates the western half of this DeKalb County landscape, where the plateau surface is dotted with established settlements like Rainsville and Chavies. The terrain transitions sharply at the Tennessee Valley Divide, dropping into the lowlands of Big Wills Valley. This geographic divide dictated the placement of historic infrastructure, with mills such as Hughes Mill and Killian Mill situated to take advantage of the drainage from the ridges.

In the southeast, the urban edge of Fort Payne begins to climb the slopes of Big Ridge, showing the expansion of the city toward the valley's natural boundaries. Genealogists can find several local burial sites, including Antioch Cem and Mount Herman Cem, which serve as anchors for the rural communities of Pine Ridge and Pleasant Hill. The map also captures several geological passes such as Chavies Gap and Bootsville Gap, which have historically facilitated movement between the plateau and the valley floor.