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1941 Map of Hazelwood

Name: 1941 Topographic Map of Hazelwood
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1990
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1990

About this map

The Great Balsam Mountains dominate this landscape where the Southern railroad winds through Balsam Gap, connecting the industrial corridors of Hazelwood and Waynesville to the rural western reaches. This 1941 survey, updated with 1980s developments, reveals a complex high-altitude economy, featuring the Grassy Ridge Mine and the Morrison Fish Hatchery. The presence of a Prison Camp near the Haywood Jackson county line suggests a specialized land use characteristic of the era's infrastructure.

Local genealogy and social history are anchored by institutions like the Allen Creek Sch and numerous country churches, including Pleasant Balsam Ch and Fairview Ch. The terrain transitions from the developed valley floor at Richland Creek to the high elevations of Steestachee Bald and Eaglenest Mtn. These peaks were increasingly accessible as the Blue Ridge Parkway began to trace the ridges, visible here as it skirts the Pisgah National Forest boundary.