1940 Map of Tapoco

About this map

Cheoah Lake and the Little Tennessee River dominate this 1940 field-checked survey of the borderlands between North Carolina and Tennessee. The landscape is defined by massive hydroelectric projects of the mid-century, including the Cheoah Dam, Calderwood Dam, and Santeetlah Dam, along with an extensive Hydro-Electric Tunnel. Away from the industrial nodes of Tapoco, the terrain rises into the Great Smoky Mountains National Park and the Nantahala National Forest. Local heritage is preserved in the location of the Beers Sch, Bethel Ch, and family landmarks like Farley Cem and Orr Cem. The Appalachian Trail snakes through the Yellow Creek Mountains, marking the era's recreational development alongside the intensive management of the Nantahala Game Lands and Cherokee Wildlife Management Area.