Anderson County Commission pushes for Rosedale identity on Google Maps
The Anderson County Commission passed a resolution asking Google Maps to recognize the Rosedale community in the New River area rather than listing it as part of Briceville.
The resolution authorizes a letter to Rick Scarbrough, who represents the area, requesting assistance with the proposed change. The measure passed unanimously at the commission’s Dec. 15, 2025, meeting.
Rosedale includes the unincorporated communities of Devonia, Morris Camp and Tioga in the New River region.
Commissioner Michael Foster made the motion, which was seconded by Commissioner Chad McNabb.
Commissioner Tim Isbel said the area is known as Rosedale because of the former Rosedale School, but that Google Maps currently identifies the entire region as Briceville.
He said travelers using Highway 116 are often misled by online directions. Under the current mapping, Briceville appears to be about 3.5 miles away, but the drive can take significantly longer due to the terrain and road conditions.
Isbel said the Rosedale area could see future development and recently hosted a well-attended concert, though limited parking was an issue.
Earlier in the meeting, New River resident Jimmy Burge asked the commission to seek Google Maps recognition, focusing specifically on Devonia rather than the broader Rosedale area.
“I want to talk about our identity,” Burge said.
He said Devonia dates back to 1918, when engineers from Moore’s Coal Company were housed there, and that the community was named after the Devonian geologic period. Devonia later became part of Briceville’s ZIP code.
“Anybody that tries to Google Devonia, Tennessee, it comes up Briceville, so they don’t know if they’re coming to the right place or not,” Burge said. “We’ve had people not come to weddings, funerals, concerts and all kinds of events because of the confusion.”
Burge said the issue is especially problematic for people familiar with Briceville, who expect to be traveling to a different location.
He also raised concerns about other issues affecting New River residents, including lack of water access for some households, limited access to three cemeteries, and controversy surrounding a proposed project to convert a railroad corridor into a cycling trail. He also requested road improvements along Highway 116.
