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1946 Map of Sam Knob

Name: 1946 Topographic Map of Sam Knob
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1965
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1965

About this map

Richland Balsam and a series of high ridges define this section of the Great Balsam Mountains during the mid-1940s. The landscape is marked by the early development of the Blue Ridge Parkway as it winds past landmarks like Devils Courthouse and Silvermine Bald. This survey captures the transition from old mountain travelways, such as the Turnpike near Coon Hollow Branch, to modern scenic infrastructure.

Remote valley life is evident at the Charley Creek Sch along the upper reaches of Charley Creek, while high-altitude gaps like Beartrail Ridge Gap and Little Bearpen Gap provided essential passage through the heavy timber of the Pisgah and Nantahala National Forests. Names like Camp Two and Possum Hollow hint at the logging history and local nomenclature of the Haywood County backcountry before further modernization.