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1946 Map of Cullowhee

Name: 1946 Topographic Map of Cullowhee
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1947
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1947

About this map

The Tuckasegee River winds through the heart of Jackson County, anchoring a landscape where the Southern railroad and mountain topography dictated the growth of several key communities. This 1946 field examination captures Cullowhee during a pivotal era for the Western Carolina Teachers College, showing the campus and surrounding settlement before its mid-century expansion. Further downriver, the county seat at Sylva and the neighboring Dillsboro serve as commercial hubs along the rail line, while Webster sits on the high ground overlooking the river's bend.

Local history is preserved in a network of family-named landmarks and rural burial grounds, including the Parris Cem, Stillwell Cem, and Love Chapel Cem. The map illustrates the transition from the riverbottom agriculture at the County Farm and East Laport to the timbered slopes of the Nantahala National Forest. Features like the Gaging Station and various small mills along Berry Mill Creek indicate a community deeply connected to its water resources.