Loading map...

1946 Map of Rabun Bald

Name: 1946 Topographic Map of Rabun Bald
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1956
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1956

About this map

The Blue Ridge Divide serpentines across this 1946 survey, marking the high-elevation boundary between Georgia and North Carolina. This landscape is defined by the peaks of the Chattahoochee National Forest and Nantahala National Forest, where summits like Rabun Bald and Flat Top loom over the headwaters of Mud Creek and Warwoman Creek. The settlement pattern in these gaps and coves reveals the isolation of mountain life, centered around local landmarks like the Locust School and the high Nantahala Flats.

Family heritage is deeply rooted in the small cemeteries and rural churches found along the winding mountain roads. From Hale Church Cem in the east to Kell Cem and Kelly Cem near the western border, the map documents the community hubs of the era. Significant landmarks like the Lookout Tower on Rabun Bald and the Power Plant near Estatoah Falls highlight the infrastructure required to manage these protected forest lands and harness their steep drainage systems.