Highlands did not exist in 1865. The map of 1865 shows Osage, Fodderstack, Whiteside, and Yellow mountains; Franklin; and Sugartown (Cullasaja) Creek, but the town of Highlands didn't begin to exist until 1875.
The map of 1881 that Kelsey drew of the town showed proposed streets and lots and homes that existed when the town was only six years old.
The road map of 1882 showed Franklin, Highlands; Osage, Fodderstack, Whiteside, and Yellow mountains; Stuly (Satulah) and Shortoff mountains; Buck Creek and Peeks Creek; the Sugartown River; and Cashiers Valley.
The map of 1925 adds Rabun Bald and Bear Pen mountains, Glen and Highlands Falls, Mirror and Lindenwood lakes, Mountain Rest, and Devil's Courthouse.
The Kesley Trail, which Samuel Kelsey built in 1883, ran from the end of 5th Street over Bear Pen Gap and through a primeval forest of 8-foot-in-diameter giant hemlocks for five miles to Whiteside Mountain, the highest cliffs east of the Rockies, plunging 1,800 feet to the headwaters of the Chattooga River. The trail featured Highlands Falls, Wildcat Cliff, and Garnet Rock and ended near Fat Man's Misery, Whiteside Caves, and Fool's Rock.
Two maps in 1966 were created by T. W. Reynolds, Highlands' first historian, showing all the roads, trails, and points of interest surrounding Highlands and Horse Cove, which he had discussed in his four books about the area. On the Highlands map he included a long list of odd names, such as Dirty John Creek, Lost Bridge, Screamer Mountain, Smash Wagon Ford, Misery Mountain, and Chunky Gal.
PDF Charts showing the locations of many businesses, homes, lots, etc. that existed between 1875 and 2004 along Main Street and 4th Street and on the Kelsey-Hutchinson map of 1894.
This map drawn by T. W. Reynolds covers the Horse Cove area in 1966. His "High Lands" features the Whiteside Mountain rescue, the naming of Cashiers and Horse Cove, the Hawkins family, a brief history of the founding of Highlands, the Blue Ridge Railroad and Stumphouse Mountain Tunnel, the naming of Satulah, and many more, as he laid out six detailed tours of the area within a forty-five mile radius derived from this and the previous map of the Highlands plateau.
The Kelsey Trail highlighted on Thomas Greville's Map of Highlands, Sept. 13, 1931. Built in 1883, the trail ran from the end of 5th Street for 5 miles to Whiteside Mountain.
This map was drawn by T. W. Reynolds of the Highlands area in 1966. It served as the basis for his 1964 publication of "High Lands," which gave detailed descriptions of the Highlands plateau from Sylva, N.C., through Georgia to Walhalla, S.C., where the mountain slopes finally died out. At age 74, having spent 7 years interviewing and traveling "some thousands of miles back and forth and over and over again" along secondary roads that "warn't fitten to travel," Reynolds recorded his excursions on this map and the next one of the Horse Cove area. He was particularly interested in the etymology of place names, many of which are listed on the left.
This map was made by the Town of Highlands from Kelsey's original in 1895. It shows all the streets and lots that still exist today and is reproduced in Chart form at the bottom of the Exhibit page for easy identification of the original owners and their deeds by lot number.
This road map of the Macon County area in 1882 not only shows Highlands at age seven years but also Stuly (Satulah) Mountain, Short Off, and Cashiers Valley. It shows the Highlands-Franklin road running out today's Flat Mountain Road, down Brushy Creek to Buck Creek, and over Moss Branch Road to Walnut Creek.
This copy of the map that Samuel Kelsey drew of proposed streets for Highlands in 1881was made from the original that former mayor Harry Wright had in his possession. It was taken to New York City for reproduction by C. C. Hutchinson's son Arthur on Jan. 7, 1881. The reproduced copy hangs in the Highlands Historical Museum,donated by Tudor T. Hall.
This road map of the Macon County area in 1865 doesn't show Highlands, which wouldn't exist until ten years later. It also doesn't show Satulah Mountain, but it does show Fodderstack and Whiteside.