1940 Map of Spring City

About this map

Watts Bar Reservoir dominates this 1940 landscape, with blue stipple indicating the significant areas destined for submergence as the Tennessee Valley Authority modified the river valley. The settlement of Rhea Springs and its namesake Rhea Springs Cem sit directly in the path of the rising waters along Piney Creek, illustrating the profound transition of this community during the dam's construction. To the west, the Southern RR corridor supports the hub of Spring City, which remains above the projected waterline. The map meticulously records the rural infrastructure of the era, from the Mc Elwee Landing on the Tennessee River to numerous small educational and spiritual centers like Shady Grove Sch and Pinhook Ch. The topography rises sharply toward the Cumberland Escarpment and Walden Ridge, providing a stark contrast between the industrializing river basin and the high ground of Grandview.