1946 Map of Mt. Mitchell

About this map

Pensacola and the small valley settlements of Murchison and Dakota sit along the winding Cane River in the heart of the Pisgah National Forest. This 1946 field examination captures the high-altitude landscape of the Black Mountains, where several family cemeteries—including Harwood Cem, Ray Cem, and Penland Cem—mark the presence of early mountain homesteads. The terrain is defined by extreme relief, rising from the river valley to prominent summits like Big Butt and Big Pine Mountain, culminating near the Lookout Tower on the state's highest peaks. A single Toll Gate at Dakota suggests the era's controlled access into the deep wilderness of the southern Appalachians. Researchers will find numerous named gaps and ridges, such as Cane River Gap and Brush Fence Ridge, that reflect the traditional land use and livestock patterns of North Carolina's high country before modern development.