1959 Map of Elk Mills

About this map

Watauga Lake dominates this mountain landscape, its convoluted shoreline reaching into the deep hollows of the Cherokee National Forest. Revised by the Tennessee Valley Authority in the late 1950s, the map illustrates the rugged geography of the Tennessee-North Carolina border where the Elk River and Watauga River converge. Settlement patterns follow the winding valley floors, with small communities like Elk Mills and Buntontown clustered near the water. Higher elevations remain dominated by timber and conservation, marked by the Buck Ridge Lookout Tower and various gaps like Colorado Gap. Evidence of local industry and rural life appears in the Strip mine located along Dry Run, and the numerous family cemeteries such as Proffitt Cem and Grindstaff Cem that dot the hillsides, providing a detailed record of the area's genealogical footprint before further modern development.