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1959 Map of Elk Mills

Name: 1959 Topographic Map of Elk Mills
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1962
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1962

About this map

The Watauga River and Elk River converge within this 1959 survey of the high country along the Tennessee and North Carolina border. This era marks the landscape after the creation of Watauga Lake, with the Watauga Reservation Boundary framing the inundated valleys of Roan Creek and Dry Run. While the rising waters altered the topography, many upland communities remain visible, including the small settlements of Elk Mills and Buntontown.

Genealogists and local researchers can locate numerous family burial grounds such as Grindstaff Cem, Wagner Cem, and Bunton Cem, along with landmarks like the Buck Ridge Lookout Tower. The map details a transition from the Cherokee National Forest to the Pisgah National Forest, documenting the persistence of rural institutions like Dry Run Sch and the Meadow View Ch amid the complex ridges of Stone Mountain.