1935 Map of Jacks Gap

About this map

Cherokee National Forest dominates this mid-1930s landscape, where the high ridges of the Blue Ridge form a natural boundary between Union and Towns counties. The survey captures a network of footpaths including the early Appalachian Trail, which snakes across summits like Brasstown Bald Mtn and Jacks Knob. Deep in the valleys, small rural outposts such as Town Creek Sch and Old Liberty Ch represent the scattered social centers for families living along Town Creek and its various tributaries. The terrain is defined by its steep gaps and namesake knobs, including Wolfpen Gap and Jacks Gap, which served as the primary transit points through the mountains before modern highway development. The map also traces the headwaters of the Nottely River, showing the drainage patterns of the southern Appalachians prior to major regional transformations by the Tennessee Valley Authority.