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1940 Map of Judson

Name: 1940 Topographic Map of Judson
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1940
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1940

About this map

The Little Tennessee River and Tuckasegee River converge in this 1940 topographic study, a landscape on the verge of permanent change. The blue stipple on the map indicates areas intended for submergence by Fontana Lake at a pool elevation of 1710 feet, marking the future footprint of the reservoir. This includes the soon-to-be-displaced settlements of Judson, Bushnell, and Almond, which were then-active communities along the Southern Railway line.

Upland from the riverbanks, the terrain rises into the Great Smoky Mountains and Nantahala Mountains, where remote infrastructure like the Noland Creek Sch and family burial sites such as Woody Cem and Monteith Cem are meticulously documented. The map also records early park-era landmarks, including the Lookout Tower near High Rocks and the Gaging Station on the river, capturing the transition from subsistence mountain farming to a landscape of federal hydroelectric and park management.