1947 Map of Roddy

About this map

The Cumberland Escarpment dominates this landscape, creating a dramatic physical divide between the plateau to the west and the valley floor to the east. Settlements like Grandview and Roddy are established along early transit corridors, with the Southern Railroad running parallel to the ridge through the valley. The map reveals a community deeply rooted in the land, evidenced by numerous family-named landmarks and rural institutions such as Mt Zion, the Big Sandy Sch, and the Boy Scout Memorial Bean Cem. Water plays a central role in the local geography, from the winding path of Whites Creek to the newly formed shoreline of the Watts Bar Reservoir. These features, along with localized landmarks like the Gibson Inn and Baker Bridge, document the mid-century infrastructure and social fabric of the Rhea, Roane, and Cumberland county borders.