1935 Map of Laurel Bloomery

About this map

Laurel Bloomery and the surrounding high country of the Iron Mountains are documented here during a period of transition in the mid-1930s. The map illustrates the early development of recreational and conservation infrastructure, notably featuring the Appalachian Trail as it winds through the National Forest and the presence of Camp McArthur CCC. Settlement patterns follow the narrow valleys of Beaverdam Creek and Laurel Creek, where small communities like Eureka and Sutherland sit alongside numerous family-named water branches. Local social centers are well-represented, including the Pleasant Home Ch, Wesley Chapel, and rural schoolhouses such as Fairview Sch and Wills Sch. This survey, compiled from aerial photographs and field examinations by the Tennessee Valley Authority, captures the rugged borderlands between Tennessee and Virginia before modern highway expansions altered these mountain hollows.