Review of historic records indicated a very low frequency of lightning ignited fires in the Chattooga River Watershed, Georgia, South Carolina, and North Carolina. Rates of reported natural ignition range from about five per decade for Satolah quadrangle, to less than one per decade for wetter, high elevation areas of the watershed in North Carolina. Records document an intensification of logging and severe fires within the watershed as a result of settlement, with a period of repeated severe disturbance from 1890 to 1940. Georgia land lottery records indicate the presettlement vegetation was dominated by xeric, fire-tolerant trees such as Quercus spp., Pinus spp., and Castanea dentata (87% total) while mesic species such as Liriodendron tulipifera were rare. Transects, 10 x 100 m, determined gap disturbance in old growth ranged from 0.8% to 2.9% per year. Increment cores indicated xeric, fire tolerant trees, including Quercus spp. and Pinus spp., were far more prevalent in age classes greater than 60 years, while mesic species such as Acer rubrum, were more common among stems less than 60 years old. The field sampling and historic records suggest Native American burning maintained fire-tolerant vegetation prior to settlement. Since the early 20th century, U.S. Forest Service management has greatly reduced the impacts of fire and more mesic canopy species are becoming increasingly dominant throughout the Chattooga River Watershed.