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1961 Map of Rankin

Name: 1961 Topographic Map of Rankin
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1963
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1963

About this map

French Broad Lake River and the Nolichucky River dominate this Tennessee Valley landscape, reflecting a region deeply reshaped by mid-century water management. The mapping captures the inundation patterns of Douglas Lake as it backs into the valley, creating a complex shoreline around Ramsey Mountain and the fertile Irish Bottoms. Industry and transit are marked by the presence of the Southern Railway and a specific abandoned coal tipple near Leadvale, indicating the shifting economic tides of the early 1960s.

Local genealogy is well-preserved through numerous family-named landmarks and rural congregations. Small communities like Rankin, Bybee, and Point Pleasant are documented alongside vital social hubs like Liberty Hill Church, Centerpoint Church, and the Centerview Sch. For those tracing ancestors in Cocke or Hamblen counties, the placement of the Solomon Cem, Harle Cem, and Calfee Cem provides precise points of historical reference in a landscape otherwise defined by its winding hollows and river bends.