1943 Map of Riceville

About this map

Riceville and the Oostanaula Valley dominate this 1943 survey, which reveals a landscape defined by small-scale agriculture and early 20th-century transport networks. The Southern railroad and the Lee Highway run parallel through the valley, anchoring settlements like Coile and Georgetown. This corridor highlights the transition from localized milling, represented by Mouse Creek Mill, to broader regional connectivity. Away from the valley floor, the terrain is characterized by a series of prominent ridges, including Rogers Ridge and Spring Creek Ridge. The map is particularly rich in local community landmarks, such as Idlewild Sch, New Hopewell Ch, and Mt Lebanon Sch, which served the scattered farmsteads across the undulating hills of McMinn County. The distribution of family-named cemeteries like Horton Cem and Sullins Cem provides essential data for researchers tracing the early inhabitants of this part of East Tennessee.