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1960 Map of Big Run

Name: 1960 Topographic Map of Big Run
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1962
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1962

About this map

The hills and hollows of Wetzel County in 1960 are defined by an extensive network of extractive industry and ridge-top settlements. Hundreds of Gas Wells and unlabeled oil wells dot the landscape, connected by a maze of pipelines and unimproved roads. Along the southern edge, the Baltimore and Ohio railroad corridor follows South Fork Fishing Creek, serving the communities of Smithfield and Pricetown.

The map reveals a deeply etched topography of ridges like Big Anderson Ridge and Lowman Ridge, where local life centered around small family cemeteries and country churches. Genealogists can trace sites such as Chutes Cem and Higgins Chapel. To the southwest, the Lewis Wetzel Hunting Ground occupies a significant portion of the terrain, preserving a pocket of the county's forested character away from the active drilling fields of Grant and Center districts.