Eastern Divide Watershed Highpoint in Norcross

One distinctive Native American Trail lies behind apartment complexes and under asphalt roadways close to Norcross proper.

The Hightower Trail was tracked centuries ago by Cherokee and Creek who marked paths along high ridgelines. The highest of ridges in the state of Georgia is the Eastern Divide, which separates the natural flow of water from rivers or rainfall as it meanders to either to the Atlantic Ocean or the Gulf of Mexico.

The Eastern Divide separates eastward flowing streams from westward flowing streams. Clearly, the crest of the Appalachian Mountains divides streams that flow toward different and distant coastlines of the continent. 

Basically cutting across Reps Miller Road, the Divide can be traced along N. Peachtree Street southward to Atlanta, dividing the Flint and Ocmulgee rivers, and eventually reaching the Jacksonville, Florida area. This immense ridgeline does disperse the natural flow of water east or west.

Many years before his death, Colonel John Adams, standing in his vineyard on Reps Miller Road, explained how the shed of water washed in opposite directions on either side of the his driveway.

“My mailbox,” he remarked proudly, “is one of the highest points on the divide."

"I checked out some topographical maps once,” the retired military man explained, “and, sure enough, there was Norcross right along the divide. When it rains I imagine all that water ending up in the ocean or the Gulf.”

The natives naturally discovered these ridges, without help of topography or aerial imagery, and blazed trails along them to avoid crossing great valleys or deep rivers. As settlers entered Georgia they widened these narrow trails carving roads and then railroad tracks into the ancient paths.

There are no detailed maps showing the points of this Divide but, interestingly, one can lay maps of known Native American Trails over maps of old roads, over maps of original rail lines finding each match up to the high ridegeline quite nicely. Many towns from north to south popped up along this ridgeline as a result of the railroad following known trails—and Norcross is no exception. 

A more widely known "Great Divide" runs through North America from Alaska, through several Midwestern states, out of Texas and continuing through Mexico. A "Northern Divide" watershed, as well as the "St. Lawrence Seaway," run parallel to one another along the border of the U.S. and Canada.

Some critics do not recognize the Eastern Divide as a continental divide, arguing that the Gulf of Mexico is part of the Atlantic Ocean. These individuals recognize only waters flowing into different oceans as being separated by continental divides.

Either way, this large Eastern Divide runs, not coincidentally, directly through Norcross.