2022 Map of Vandever

About this map

The Tennessee Valley Divide snakes across the high terrain of the Cumberland Plateau, separating the headwaters that flow toward the Tennessee and Cumberland basins. This 2022 survey captures a rural landscape where family history is deeply etched into the topography of Cumberland CO and Bledsoe County. The area around Vandever and Big Lick is notable for its high density of family burial grounds, including the Perry Cem, Hale Cem, and Houston Cem, many situated near small community nodes like New Era. In the north, the modern residential layout surrounding Lake Tansi contrasts with the traditional rural patterns found further south near the Sequatchie Valley. This transition is marked by geological breaks such as Stephens Gap and Parham Gap, which have long dictated the movement of people and commerce through the ridges. The presence of named springs like Stacy Spring and Carding Machine Spring points to the essential water sources that once anchored early mountain homesteads.