2014 Map of Big Run

About this map

Smithfield and Pricetown anchor the southern reaches of this West Virginia landscape, where the deeply incised drainage of North Fork Fishing Creek and its many tributaries dictates the pattern of settlement. Winding roads follow the narrow valley floors, connecting small communities like Kodol, Burchfield, and Mobley. The terrain is characterized by prominent ridges such as Creswell Ridge and Anderson Ridge, which separate the hollows where numerous family cemeteries are found. These sites, including the Utt Cem, Willey Cem, and Kilcoyne Cem, provide a dense record of the area's ancestral lineage. The map reveals a rural economy shaped by geography, with homes and small post offices clustered along waterways like Wiley Fork and Price Run, while higher elevations such as Lowman Ridge and Gilbert Ridge remain largely dominated by the natural topography of the Appalachian plateau.