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1913 Map of Beckley

Name: 1913 Topographic Map of Beckley
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1923
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1923

About this map

The New River carves a deep, sinuous path through this 1911 survey of the southern West Virginia coalfields, anchored by the burgeoning commercial centers of Mt Hope and Glen Jean. The landscape is defined by its complex industrial infrastructure, where the Chesapeake and Ohio and Kanawha and Michigan railroads snake through narrow valleys to serve a dense network of mining settlements. Names like Whipple Junction, Scarbro, and Sun signify the era's rapid industrialization.

Mountainous ridges including Batoff Mountain and Garden Ground Mtn isolate these tight-knit communities, which were supported by numerous local institutions such as Johnstown School and Silver Cliff School. This map captures the region at its industrial peak, detailing the intricate relationship between the winding rail lines, the rugged topography, and the specific elevations of the Fayette and Raleigh county lines.