1940 Map of Hewitt

About this map

The Nantahala Mountains and Cheqah Mountains dominate this 1940 survey of the borderlands between Graham, Swain, Macon, and Cherokee counties. Small settlements like Stecoah and Hewitt are pockets of activity in a landscape defined by sharp elevation changes and deep gaps. Local heritage is preserved through the location of the Rowlin Sch, Stecoah Ch, and several family burial grounds including Randolph Cem and Jenkins Cem. Transportation patterns of the era are visible in the path of the Southern Railway following the river and the early route of the Appalachian Trail as it traverses ridges like Franks Creek Lead. A notable engineering detail is the hydro-electric tunnel (under construction) near Beechertown, signaling the expansion of power infrastructure within the Nantahala National Forest during the mid-twentieth century.