1963 Map of Oakway

About this map

Hartwell Lake dominates the southwestern portion of this landscape, its fingers stretching into the inlets created by the Tugaloo River and Eastanollee Creek. Along the northern and eastern reaches, the community of Oakway serves as a central hub, surrounded by numerous country churches and cemeteries such as Old Retreat Ch and Bethel Cem. The map illustrates a rural society organized around small crossroads like Simpson Store and Knox Store, where local life centered on institutions like the Fair Play-Oakway Sch. The intricate network of small ponds, including Prater Pond and Varnadore Pond, suggests a managed water system for local agriculture and livestock. This 1963 survey, updated with 1972 revisions, provides a clear view of the Oconee County terrain before further modern development altered these traditional settlement patterns.