1950 Map of Guntersville Dam

About this map

Guntersville Dam anchors this mid-century landscape where the Tennessee River transitions into the expansive Wheeler Reservoir. The map reveals a complex river-valley economy and geography just after the war, marked by large government tracts like the Merrill Reservation and the Robertson Reservation. While the reservoir dominates the center, the surrounding uplands of Merrill Mountain and Georgia Mountain are dotted with small rural institutions, including the Beach Spring Cem Bean Rock School and Mobbs School. Settlement patterns are concentrated near Union Grove and Black Center, with the N C & St L Ry and its associated N C & St L Ry Ferry providing vital transportation links across the water. Local industry is represented by Neighbors Mill on Shoal Creek, while numerous family cemeteries and churches like Sweet Home Church testify to the area's deep-rooted community history.