This content is from the North Carolina Gazetteer, edited by William S. Powell and Michael Hill. Copyright © 2010 by the University of North Carolina Press. Used by permission of the publisher. For personal use and not for further distribution. Please submit permission requests for other use directly to the publisher.

Some place names included in The North Carolina Gazetteer contain terms that are considered offensive.

"The North Carolina Gazetteer is a geographical dictionary in which an attempt has been made to list all of the geographic features of the state in one alphabet. It is current, and it is historical as well. Many features and places that no longer exist are included; many towns and counties for which plans were made but which never materialized are also included. Some names appearing on old maps may have been imaginary, but many of them also appear in this gazetteer.

Each entry is located according to the county in which it is found. I have not felt obliged to keep entries uniform. The altitude of a place, the date of incorporation of a city or town, may appear in the beginning of one entry and at the end of another. Some entries may appear more complete than others. I have included whatever information I could find. If there is no comment on the origin or meaning of a name, it is because the information was not available. In some cases, however, resort to an unabridged dictionary may suggest the meaning of many names."

--From The North Carolina Gazetteer, 1st edition, preface by William S. Powell

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Place Description
Lake Summit

S Henderson County on Green River. Formed in 1920 as a source of power. Covers 350 acres, with a max. depth of 100 ft. A textile mill formerly operated there, and summer homes stand along the shores of the lake.

Lake Susan

NE Buncombe County. Formed by a dam on Flat Creek in Montreat.

Lake Tabor

S Columbus County. Formed by a dam on Grissett Swamp. Covers 8 acres, with a max. depth of 15 ft. Known as Spiveys Pond in the early twentieth century, when it was used to provide waterpower to operate a gristmill. The dam broke in 1950. The site was purchased by Tabor City, the dam was rebuilt, and the name was changed in 1955.

Lake Tahoma

W McDowell County on Buck Creek and Little Buck Creek. Formed about 1927 by J. Q. Gilkey of Marion. The name, an Indian word believed to mean "mountain lake of the gods," was suggested by Mary Hudgins of Marion. Covers approx. 500 acres; max. depth 30 to 40 ft. Owned by Lake Tahoma, Inc., a landholding corporation.

Lake Thorpe

an irregular-shaped reservoir in W Jackson County formed in 1941 by a dam on the West Fork of Tuckasegee River. Originally known as Glenville Lake for the nearby community; renamed in 1951 for J. E. S. Thorpe, former president of Nantahala Power and Light Company. Also known for a time as Thorpe Reservoir. Covers 1,462 acres, with a max. depth of 135 ft. Used to generate hydroelectric power and for recreation. Alt. 3,492.

Lake Tillery

on Pee Dee River in Montgomery and Stanly Counties. Formed in 1928. Covers 5,260 acres, with a shoreline of 104 mi. and a max. depth of 89 ft. Owned by Progress Energy and used for generating hydroelectric power, boating, swimming, and fishing. Originally named Norwood Lake for nearby town of Norwood. Renamed for former president of the company, Paul A. Tillery (1880-1933).

Lake Tomahawk

SE Buncombe County on Tomahawk Branch.

Lake Toxaway

resort community in W Transylvania County on Toxaway River. The original Toxaway Inn, built in 1901, became a popular resort for the wealthy. The lake, formed in 1903, covered 540 acres, with a shoreline of 15 mi. and a max depth of 50 ft. The dam was destroyed in the flood of 1916 but was rebuilt in 1961. The lake now covers 900 acres, the largest privately owned lake in W North Carolina, and is surrounded by homes. There is also a golf course and an airport in the community. The name is derived from the Cherokee word Tortzoo-whah (redbird).

Lake Trojan

S central Wake County on a tributary of Swift Creek. Formed about 1900 and called Yates Mill Pond for the owner of the mill. Name changed in the 1950s. Covers 20 acres, with a max. depth of 15 ft. Used as a source of power and for fishing and swimming. Mill open to the public.

Lake View

pond on Flatrock Creek in N Franklin County. Formed 1890. Known as Hunts Pond until 1931. Covers 10 acres; max. depth 12 ft.