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1973 Map of Decatur

Name: 1973 Topographic Map of Decatur
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1975
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1975

About this map

Decatur serves as the focal point of this Meigs County survey, situated just east of the Tennessee River during a period of significant industrial transition. The landscape is dominated by the massive energy infrastructure of the Tennessee Valley Authority, featuring the Watts Bar Dam, the Watts Bar Steam Plant, and the Watts Bar Nuclear Plant, which is noted as being under construction. These projects flank the boundary of Watts Bar Lake and Chickamauga Lake, fundamentally altering the riverine environment.

Local history is preserved in the numerous family cemeteries and rural landmarks scattered across the River Knobs and Pone Valley. Genealogists will find many sites of interest, from the Porter-Ward Cem in the north to the Old Goodfield Cem near Goodfield Creek. The map also captures the path of the Dixie Highway and the Southern Railway, illustrating the transportation network that connected riverside settlements like Breedenton and Yellow to the wider region.