Proclamation 2183—Cherokee National Forest, Tennessee

By the President of the United States of America
A Proclamation

Whereas certain forest lands in the State of Tennessee have been or may hereafter be acquired by the United States of America under the authority of sections 6 and 7 of the act of March 1, 1911, ch. 186, 36 Stat. 961, as amended (U.S.C., title 16, secs. 515, 516); and

Whereas it appears that the reservation as the Cherokee National Forest of the said lands together with certain other lands heretofore forming parts of the Pisgah National Forest and the Unaka National Forest would be in the public interest:

Now, Therefore, I, Franklin D. Roosevelt, President of the United States of America, by virtue of the power vested in me by section 24 of the act of March 3, 1891, ch. 561, 26 Stat. 1095, 1103, as amended (U.S.C., title 16, sec. 471), the act of June 4, 1897, ch. 2, 30 Stat. 34, 36 (U.S.C., title 16, sec. 473), and by section 11 of the said act of March 1, 1911 (U.S.C., title 16, sec. 521), do proclaim that there are hereby reserved and set apart as the Cherokee National Forest, all lands of the United States within the following-described boundaries, and that all lands therein which may hereafter be acquired by the United States under authority of the said act of March 1, 1911, as amended, shall upon their acquisition be reserved and administered as a part of the Cherokee National Forest:

CHEROKEE DIVISION

Beginning at the point where the Louisville and Nashville Railroad crosses the Georgia-Tennessee State Line at or near Tennga, Georgia; thence northerly with the Louisville and Nashville Railroad approximately 4 miles to the point where said railroad is crossed by the public road running north and south along the west foot of the mountain; thence northerly with said public road to its junction with U.S. Highway No. 64; thence easterly with the meanders of U.S. Highway No. 64 to a point on the left bank of the Ocoee River; thence southeasterly with the left bank of the Ocoee River to the south end of the Parksville Dam; thence northerly with the crest of the Parksville Dam to its north end, a point beside U.S. Highway No. 64; thence northwesterly with the meanders of Highway No. 64 approximately ⅓ mile to its junction with the public road running north and south along the west foot of the mountain; thence northerly with the said public road to the point where it first comes to the left bank of the Hiwassee River, opposite the upper end of an island in the river; thence northeasterly approximately 15 chains, crossing the river to a point in the road on the right bank of the river; thence northwesterly with the meanders of the said road to its junction with U.S. Highway No. 411; thence northeasterly with Highway No. 411 approximately ¾ mile to a junction with an old road; thence northeasterly with said old road approximately 18 chains to a point beside the Blue Ridge Branch of the Louisville and Nashville Railroad; thence northerly with the Louisville and Nashville Railroad to the point where it crosses Conasauga Creek; thence northeasterly with Conasauga Creek to the point where it is first crossed by the Etowah-Tellico Plains Road; thence easterly with the meanders of the Etowah-Tellico Plains Road approximately 5 miles to a point where said road again crosses Conasauga Creek; thence southerly and southeasterly with the meanders of Conasauga Creek to a road junction beside the creek and near the mouth of Steer Creek; thence northeasterly with the meanders of Steer Creek Road to its junction with Tennessee State Highway No. 68; thence northerly with the meanders of State Highway No. 68 to a point at intersection with the corporate limit of Tellico Plains; thence southeasterly, thence northeasterly, thence northerly with said town limits to a bridge across the Tellico River; thence Northerly with the meanders of the Ballplay Road to a point about ½ mile west of Center School, where said road crosses a small stream and makes sharp turn to right; thence northerly with the meanders of said small stream to its junction with Tellico River; thence northerly and northeasterly with the meanders of Tellico River to the first public road crossing below the mouth of Ballplay Creek; thence easterly with the meanders of said public road approximately 35 chains to a road fork; thence northeasterly with the meanders of a secondary road, taking the right fork at approximately 2½ miles, approximately 3½ miles in all to a point on the left bank of the Little Tennessee River; thence easterly up and with the meanders of the left bank of the Little Tennessee River to intersection with the North Carollna-Tennessee State Line; thence in a general southwesterly direction with the meanders of the North Carollna-Tennessee State Line to intersection with U.S. Highway No. 64; thence westerly with the meanders of U.S. Highway No. 64, to a road fork approximately 33 chains east of Stewardtown; thence northerly with the meanders of a secondary road to its junction with the road leading up Potato Creek to Bonnertown; thence easterly with the meanders of last-named road, passing Bonnertown, approximately 1½ miles to a junction of four secondary roads; thence northerly with the meanders of the left-hand road, approximately ½ mile to a road fork; thence westerly with the meanders of left-hand road approximately 1½ miles to a road fork; thence northerly with the meanders of the right-hand road, crossing the divide between Potato Greek and Brush Greek, to intersection with Brush Greek; thence westerly with the meanders of Brush Creek to the point where said creek is crossed by the Louisville and Nashville Railroad; thence southerly with the meanders of the Louisville and Nashville Railroad to a point opposite Patterson's Perry; thence southwesterly with the meanders of a secondary road to its junction with the Grassy Creek Road; thence southerly with meanders of the Grassy Creek Road to its Intersection with the Georgia-Tennessee State Line; thence westerly with the Georgia-Tennessee State Line to the place of beginning.

UNAKA DIVISION

Beginning at a point on the North Carolina-Tennessee State Line, and on the boundary of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, about 1¼ miles northwest of Mt. Sterling postoffice, where the road leading from Mt. Sterling into Tennessee crosses the state line; thence northwesterly with the meanders of the road which forms the boundary of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park to a road fork about ½ mile after crossing Cosby Creek, where Park boundary bears off southwest; thence northwesterly and northerly with the meanders of the main road leading down Cosby Creek, to a road fork near the mouth of a large stream flowing north from Denny Mountain into Cosby Creek; thence easterly with the meanders of the public road along the north foot of Denny Mountain to a road fork on the bank of Pigeon River; thence northerly with the meanders of a road which crosses the river and runs down its east side to Edwlna; thence northeasterly with the meanders of a public road to its junction with US. Highway No. 25 about ¾ mile west of Bridgeport; thence easterly with the meanders of Highway No. 25, crossing French Broad River at Bridgeport, to junction with a public road which leads around the north foot of Neddy Mountain; thence northeasterly and southeasterly with said road to its junction with public road leading up Long Creek; thence northeasterly with the public road which follows most closely the northwest foot of Meadow Creek Mountain to Cedar Creek Post Office; thence easterly, northeasterly, and northerly with the said road which follows most closely the northwest foot of the mountains to Whig Post Office; thence northeasterly with the meanders of a public road crossing Dry Pork to junction of said road with the road leading up Dry Pork; thence southeasterly with the meanders of the road leading up Dry Fork approximately 1½ miles to a road fork; thence northeasterly with the meanders of a public road, crossing Water Fork and the divide between Water Fork and Middle Creek to the first road fork beyond said divide; thence northwesterly with the meanders of the left-hand road approximately ¾ mile to a road fork; thence northerly with the meanders of the right-hand road to the point where it crosses Middle Creek, near the mouth at the left-hand fork of said creek; thence easterly with the meanders of Middle Creek and the left fork of Middle Creek approximately one mile to where a road crosses; thence easterly with the meanders of the most direct road to Painter Post Office; thence easterly with the meanders of a public road crossing Cassie Creek to junction with road leading down Painter Creek; thence northerly with the meanders of the road leading down Painter Creek to its junction with Tennessee State Highway No. 107; thence northeasterly and southeasterly with the meanders of Tennessee State Highway No. 107 to the point where this highway first runs beside the railroad leading to Embreeville; thence northerly with the meanders of said railroad to Garber, Tennessee; thence northeasterly with the meanders of the public road leading up Little Cherokee Creek, crossing the head of Buck Creek and running down Sinking Creek to a point approximately 1 mile due south of the center of Johnson City, where a road turns off southeast; thence southeasterly with the meanders of the last-named road to its junction with U.S. Highway No. 23; thence southerly with the meanders of Highway No. 23, approximately 2½ miles to a road fork; thence northeasterly with the meanders of the road which forms the most direct route to Valley Forge on the Doe River; thence northeasterly and northerly with the meanders of the said road, crossing the Watauga River at Siam, to Hunter Station; thence in a northerly and general westerly direction with the meanders of road along south foot of Holston Mountain, to the point where it crosses the railroad between Elizabethton and Bluff City, approximately 2½ miles north of Elizabethton; thence northwesterly with the meanders of said railroad to Elkanah; thence northeasterly and northerly with the meanders of the road which passes Chlncapin Grove Church, to a sharp bend in the South Pork of the Holston River; thence northeasterly with the meanders of the road up Holston River, passing Island Mills and Hemlock, to the south end of the bridge across Holston River at Central Holston Church; thence in a general northeasterly direction up and with the meanders of the left bank of the South Fork of Holston River to intersection with the Tennessee-Virginia State Line; thence easterly with the Tennessee-Virginia State Line to the point on Pond Mountain which is the common corner of the states of Tennessee, Virginia and North Carolina; thence southerly with the Tennessee-North Carolina State line about 3 miles to Forest Service Monument 1244 corner to tract 137e of the United States; thence with the lines of said tract 137e northeasterly then southerly then northwesterly to corner 4 thereof in Cut-Laurel Gap on the State line; thence southerly with the Tennessee-North Carolina State line to a point in Payne's Gap at intersection with a public road; thence, southwesterly with the meanders of the road leading down Forge Creek, to its junction with U.S. Highway No. 421, near the point where Forge Creek empties into Roan Creek; thence southerly, with the meanders of U.S. Highway No. 421, to a road fork about Yu mile south of Evergreen Church near mouth of Lucinda Creek; thence southwesterly with the meanders of a public road leading up Lucinda Creek, a large tributary of Roan Creek, to the Tennessee-North Carolina State Line on top of the mountain; thence, in a general southwesterly direction with the Tennessee-North Carolina State Line to the place of beginning, excluding from the above-described land, however, all land within the corporate limits of the towns of Mountain City and Erwin, Tennessee.

The boundaries of the Cherokee National Forest are graphically shown on the diagram attached hereto and made a part hereof.

In Witness Whereof, I have hereunto set my hand and caused the seal of the United States to be affixed.

Done at the City of Washington this 8th day of July in the year of our Lord nineteen hundred and thirty-six and of the Independence of the United States of America the one hundred and sixty-first.

FRANKLIN D ROOSEVELT

By the President:
CORDELL HULL
Secretary of State.