Loading map...

1961 Map of Noland Creek

Name: 1961 Topographic Map of Noland Creek
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1964
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1964

About this map

Fontana Lake dominates this 1961 landscape, its branching fingers filling the valleys where the Little Tennessee River, Tuckasegee River, and Nantahala River converge. The creation of the reservoir transformed the region, yet traditional markers of the mountain communities remain visible. Small family burying grounds like Woody Cem, McClure Cem, and Panther Creek Cem are found along the high ground above the water's edge, preserving the names of early settlers.

The boundary of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park runs across the northern half of the sheet, where peaks like High Rocks, topped by a Lookout Tower, overlook the Nantahala National Forest to the south. Numerous floating moorages, including Greasy Branch Dock and Sawyer Dock, indicate the shift toward recreation and lake-based access in the mid-20th century, even as the remote ridges of Jumpup Ridge and Welch Ridge retain their primitive character.