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1914 Map of Murphy

Name: 1914 Topographic Map of Murphy
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1927
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1927

About this map

The Hiwassee River and Tellico River systems dominate this rugged borderland between Tennessee and North Carolina during the early twentieth century. This survey documents a critical period of industrial and infrastructure development, featuring the Louisville and Nashville RR winding through the mountains and the Southern Ry terminating at Murphy. The map preserves the routes of early travel, such as the Old Federal Road and the river crossing at Prince Ferry.

Significant industrial and mining history is evident in the south, where Ducktown and Isabella sit near the copper-rich corridor of the Ocoee basin. Remote mountain settlements like Coker Creek, Rural Vale, and Tellico Plains appear before the full expansion of modern forestry and hydroelectric projects, while the extensive Cherokee National Forest boundary delineates the emerging federal conservation efforts of the era.