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1893 Map of Murphy

Name: 1893 Topographic Map of Murphy
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1893
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1893

About this map

Murphy serves as the focal point for this late 19th-century survey of the borderlands between North Carolina and Tennessee. The landscape is defined by the heavy presence of the Unaka Mountains and the winding course of the Tellico River and Hiwassee River. At this time, the region's industrial character is marked by significant copper mining operations near Ducktown, including the Isabella Mine, Old Ten Mine, and Mary Mine.

Transport networks of the era are clearly delineated, showing the Marietta and North Georgia R.R. and the historic Federal Road threading through gaps in the ridges. Remote river crossings like Prince Fy. and Shallow Fd. highlight how travelers navigated the steep terrain before modern bridges. From the high elevations of Beaverdam Bald to the valley settlements of Tellico Plains and Hiwassee Sta., the map preserves a detailed record of Appalachian life and resource extraction during the 1890s.