1912 Map of Bald Knob

About this map

The Cherry Pond Mountain and Guyandot Mountain ranges dominate this 1910 survey of southern West Virginia, capturing a landscape of steep hollows and winding coal-country drainages. Early rail infrastructure is visible along the C and O RR as it follows the Coal River and Marsh Fork, connecting the small riverbank communities of Whitesville and Jarrolds Valley. The map records the early development of the coalfields across the Boone, Logan, Raleigh, and Wyoming county lines, where family-named landmarks like Jarrolds Field and the Van settlement established the human footprint in the narrow valleys. Deep drainages such as Pond Fork and Spruce Fork carve through the high ridges, reaching toward Bald Knob and the isolated gap at Walnut Gap. This record provides an essential view of the region before the large-scale industrial shifts of the mid-20th century.