Old Maps of the Smokies -- Free for All !
I love old maps. Maybe my love of maps began with the reading of the classic
Treasure Island - a beguiling tale for kids of all ages. I still have my hardcover copy of this
book which I first read at perhaps the age of 10 or 12. Right in the front of the book is a map titled:
Treasure Island August 1750
The history of the book's development says the map was drawn in
the winter of 1881 by the author, Robert Louis Stevenson, as part of a game to keep his vacationing stepson entertained.
The map became the focal point for the tale which ultimately became Stevenson's first--and perhaps most famous--book.
Today, I look carefully at the old map and buried there near the western coastline of the island among all of the scribbling
is an "X" labeled with the phrase:
"Bulk of Treasure"
Exploring the Smokies
with the benefit of an old map is much like seeking hidden treasure. Many once-popular places in the park have long
been forgotten because they no longer appear on any modern-day maps. Look carefully at an old map and you'll see them
carefully plotted amid the countless small buildings, wagon trails, ancient Indian paths and logging railroads--most of which were
years earlier removed from the park or hidden by the vegetation, and none of which seem to appear on modern-day maps of these
areas.
It is true that some
of these locations are buried in the middle of what has once again become true wilderness, however, some of them are "just
over the ridge" beside popular roads and hiking trails. These hidden spots often contain the ruins of old home sites,
machinery and other artifacts. Coming across these ruins during a hike is a bit like finding hidden treasure and it
is sometimes easy to imagine that you've discovered something not seen in more than 50 - 100 years.
Many old maps of the Smokies are in
collections held by the Library of Congress and these are now available for online viewing. They are fabulous!
I'll give you the links later in this message but first let me suggest a process for easier viewing:
-
Download the free map viewing program called MrSID and install it on your
PC.
-
Browse the various maps and whenever you find one you'd like to browse in
detail then look for the download link and save the map to your computer's hard drive. You can then use the MrSID viewing
program to open and view the maps at your leisure and with many more options than you have when viewing them online.
Here are the links:
Mapping the National Parks, a Library of Congress website where you'll be able to access all the programs
and maps. Take some time to explore this resource and get familiar with its layout and offerings.
Maps of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park Here you'll find links to many more maps related to the Smokies--even
several early European maps starting with one showing the route taken by Hernando DeSoto during his trip here in
the year 1540! There are many more "modern" maps starting with one published during the Civil War and several prepared
during the early planning of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Modern-day USGS Quadrangle maps are also
available for free download and viewing.
Perhaps my favorite maps in this collection are those of the pre-park
Smokies in the form of two sheets published in 1934 which show the area that would become the Smokies. These were based upon
surveys conducted between 1927 and 1931 and were drawn at a scale of 1:62,500 (the "best" modern-day USGS Quadrangle maps
are usually a scale of 1:24,000). Moving forward in time you can view later editions of Smokies maps which show details
such as the location of the old CCC camps and buildings (none of those appear on our modern-day maps).
Once you've browsed the online versions of a few of these maps I
think you'll want to download the free MrSID viewing program and then several of the maps so that you can examine these old maps in greater
detail without having to be online.
Who knows, you just may find
some hidden treasures of your own!
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