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1946 Map of Sylva South

Name: 1946 Topographic Map of Sylva South
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1972
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1972

About this map

Western Carolina Teachers College sits at the center of this mountain landscape, marking a period of educational expansion along the winding course of the Tuckasegee River. The 1946 topography reveals a region defined by river-valley agriculture and high-altitude ridges, with the Southern RR following the water through Dillsboro and Sylva. Away from the rail lines, the map identifies small community clusters and family burial grounds like Parris Cem and Stillwell Cem, which provide essential clues for genealogical research in Jackson County.

Institutional and spiritual life is well-documented through labels for the County Farm and numerous rural houses of worship, including Webster Ch and Love Chapel. The southern portion of the sheet transitions into the protected lands of the Nantahala National Forest, where the terrain climbs toward peaks like Buck Knob and Cullowhee Mountain, bisected by rugged gaps such as Dicks Gap and Gribble Gap.