Map of Property Belonging to the Nantahala Marble & Talc Co. Situated in Swain County, North Carolina

A scarce topographic plan of the oldest continually operating quarry in North Carolina.

In 1878, Frank R. Hewitt established a talc mine in the foothills of the Smoky Mountains in western North Carolina. The arrival of the Western North Carolina Railroad helped expand commercial extraction of the region’s mineral resources, including marble and talc. The quarry at Hewitt would become North Carolina’s oldest continuously operated quarry, with commercial activity dating to the late 19th century.

This detailed and colorful topographic map was drawn by the Atlanta-based engineering firm Hall Brothers at a scale of one inch to 800 feet. Dated May 1891, the sheet documents the extensive mineral holdings along both banks of the Nantahala River, where land grants totaling 8,200 acres are outlined beside the railroad. Deposits of marble, talc, iron, and slate are distinguished in green, yellow, red, and brown, respectively. The names of property owners, geographic features, and railroad stations are labeled throughout, providing a detailed picture of the area’s mineral resources and transportation infrastructure. Topography is represented with hachures, while an elevation profile along the right side offers a more tangible impression of the steep terrain around Cotton Rock Ridge.

Printed in Atlanta by Budden & Son, the map is an uncommon record of the region’s early industrial development and the intersection of mining, railroad transportation, and land ownership. No copies have yet been located in WorldCat or other major online map catalogues. One example is held by the Newberry Library in Chicago, and a second may be present in the Special Collections of Western Carolina University’s Hunter Library, although that holding remains unconfirmed.

Sources: Smoky Mountain News; Reading Room;