1933 Map of Haw Knob

About this map

The Tellico River winds through the heart of the southern Appalachian backcountry, documenting a landscape at the intersection of the Cherokee National Forest and Nantahala National Forest. Surveyed in the early 1930s, the map reveals a rugged mountain economy where isolated settlements like Belltown and Rafter are connected by narrow mountain roads and creek-bed trails. Local genealogy is anchored by numerous rural institutions, including Bullplay Ch, Milligan Sch, and Waucheesi Sch, many of which were central to these high-country communities. Notable landmarks like the Bald River Falls and the remote Whigg Cabin illustrate the era's transition toward protected wilderness, while river crossings like Fain Ford show how earlier travel patterns persisted. From the heights of Haw Knob to the deep drainage of Citico Creek, the map captures the Tennessee-North Carolina border before modern development altered the region.