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1916 Map of Gastonia

Name: 1916 Topographic Map of Gastonia
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1916
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1916

About this map

The industrial and spiritual roots of the North Carolina Piedmont are laid bare in this 1914 survey. Textile centers like McAdenville and the Loray Mill in Gastonia anchor the southern landscape, while the presence of the Rehoboth Furnace to the north points to an earlier era of iron production. The South Fork Catawba River winds through the center of the sheet, providing the water power essential to the mills at High Shoals and Hardins Sta.

Genealogists can trace early community life through numerous rural landmarks, from the Philadelphia Church and Ebenezer Belmont Abbey to the Rutledge School and Trinity School. Transportation networks of the early twentieth century are well-defined, including the Southern and Seaboard railroads, and the historic Plank Road running near Lincolnton. The map also captures the varied terrain from Spencer Mountain down to the lowlands of the Catawba River at the eastern boundary.