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1914 Map of Murphy

Name: 1914 Topographic Map of Murphy
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1942
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1942

About this map

Tellico Plains serves as a focal point in this rugged terrain, marking a transition between the valley floors and the high ridges of the Snowbird Mtns and Unaka Mtns. The 1914 publication, based on earlier surveys by F.M. Pearson and Chas. M. Yeates, highlights a landscape defined by the drainage basins of the Hiwassee River, Tellico River, and Nottely River. Transport and early industry are evident through the path of the Federal Road and the copper mining influences near Ducktown and Isabella.

The presence of Prince Ferry and the Louisville and Nashville railroad tracks underscore the era's reliance on river crossings and rail for connecting remote mountain communities like Postell, Turtletown, and Rural Vale. From the high elevations of Henderson Top to the mineral potential at Powdermill, the map documents a region at the intersection of Tennessee and North Carolina during a period of significant extraction and early commercial development.