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1940 Map of White Rock

Name: 1940 Topographic Map of White Rock
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1940
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1940

About this map

Shelton Laurel Creek and Big Laurel Creek carve through the high elevations of Madison County in this 1939 field study. The landscape is defined by family-named landmarks and small, isolated mountain communities such as White Rock, Cutshalltown, and Belva. Settlement patterns follow the creek beds and gaps, with social life anchored by country churches like Middle Laurel Ch and Piney Grove Ch.

Genealogists will find a wealth of local history in the numerous family burial grounds, including the Shelton Cem, Roddy Cem, and Cook Cem. Small-scale industry and education are represented by the Rice Mill and Rice Sch located near the southern reaches of the quadrangle. Much of the high ground, including Sugarloaf Mountain and Franklin Mtn, falls within the Pisgah National Forest, showing the intersection of federal land management and long-standing rural Appalachian homesteads.