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1947 Map of Sinking Cove

Name: 1947 Topographic Map of Sinking Cove
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1974
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1974

About this map

The Nashville Chattanooga and St Louis RR follows the narrow corridor of Crow Creek, serving the small rail settlements of Sherwood and Tantallon. This 1947 field examination reveals a landscape deeply defined by the escarpments of the Cumberland Plateau, where life centered on the fertile valley floors and the mouths of numerous hollows. The presence of several family-named burial grounds, including Gass Cem, Morris Cem, and Jackson Cem, suggests a long-established rural community organized around the geography of the coves.

Notable geological and cultural landmarks are scattered across the terrain, from the subterranean depths of Peter Cave and Buggytop Cave to the localized education centers at Sinking Cove School and Anderson Sch. The map documents the intricate network of watercourses like No Business Creek and Reuben Creek that carved out the signature Sinking Cove topography, while the Winding Stairs and Cross Trail indicate the historical routes used to navigate the dramatic elevation changes of the plateau edge.