1960 Map of Valle Crucis

About this map

The Tennessee Valley Divide snakes across this terrain, marking a significant hydrologic boundary where waters part toward the Watauga River or the Linville Creek system. This 1960s-era landscape is defined by its deep community roots, centered on the Valle Crucis settlement and its historic Valle Crucis Mission. The map reveals a dense network of family-named landmarks and institutions, from the Grace Hartley Memorial Hospital in Banner Elk to small rural sanctuaries like St Johns Ch and Holy Cross Ch. Large tracts of protected land, including the Pisgah National Forest and Julian Price Memorial Park, dominate the southern reaches, preserving the slopes around Grandfather Mountain and Sugar Mountain. Local history is preserved in numerous family burial grounds such as Baird Cem, Mast Cem, and Shull Cem, which dot the ridges and valleys near Vilas and Matney.