1938 Map of Sherwood

About this map

Sherwood and the surrounding high-country settlements of Watauga River valley are caught in a moment of transition during this 1930s survey. The landscape is defined by its social infrastructure of small churches and schools, such as Beaverdam Ch and Cove Creek Sch, which anchored the rural communities before mid-century consolidation. The boundary between the Cherokee National Forest and Pisgah National Forest runs through these ridges, marking a territory where timber interests and federal management intersected with long-established family homesteads. The map shows a network of creeks and hollows, from Beaverdam Creek to Snake Den Creek, that dictated the placement of mountain roads and early crossings like the Green Bridge. This topography reveals the deep-seated reliance on water gaps for travel, seen at George Gap and Ward Gap, which served as vital conduits through the steep terrain.