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1959 Map of Elk Mills

Name: 1959 Topographic Map of Elk Mills
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1988
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1988

About this map

Watauga Lake dominates the central landscape of this late-1950s survey, where the rising waters of the Tennessee Valley Authority system shaped the local geography. Small mountain communities and family-named landmarks are scattered across the high terrain of Stone Mountain and Beech Mountain. The map reveals a transition toward recreation with the Roan Creek Boat Dock and Gregg Boat Dock providing access to the reservoir.

Genealogists will find a wealth of specific data, including numerous family cemeteries such as Crosswhite Cem and Snyder Cem, alongside rural social centers like Dry Run Sch and the Midway Church. The presence of the Buck Ridge Lookout Tower and a strip mine near Dry Run underscores the dual nature of the era's land use, balancing conservation within the Cherokee National Forest and Pisgah National Forest with resource extraction.