1961 Map of Tuskeegee

About this map

Little Tennessee River Fontana Lake dominates the central topography of this 1961 survey, carving a deep boundary between Great Smoky Mountains National Park to the north and the Nantahala National Forest to the south. The map documents a landscape defined by sharp elevation changes, from the heights of Welch Ridge and Forneys Ridge down to the inundated valley floor. Genealogists will find numerous family-named burial sites such as Bone Valley Cem, Sugar Fork Cem, and Welch Cem tucked into the drainages of Hazel Creek and Forney Creek. Small communities like Tuskeegee and Proctor are shown in relation to the vast network of gaps and knobs, including Whiteside Gap and Big Elk Knob. The map effectively illustrates the 1960s footprint of the Tennessee Valley Authority's influence on the Swain County and Graham County border.