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1925 Map of Blacksville

Name: 1925 Topographic Map of Blacksville
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1944
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1944

About this map

The Monongahela River winds through the heart of this landscape, its course regulated by industrial navigation markers such as Lock No 14 and Lock No 15. In the early twentieth century, this region on the West Virginia-Pennsylvania border was defined by its coal and river economy, evidenced by Montana Mines and the Baltimore and Ohio railroad corridor. The terrain is deeply etched by a network of runs and creeks, including Dunkard Creek and Whiteday Creek, which dictated the placement of dozens of small rural hubs.

Local history is preserved in the high density of family-named landmarks and institutions. From the Monumental Church to specialized local education at the Democrat School and Italy School, the map reveals a populated rural interior. Small settlements like Blacksville, Grant Town, and Pentress serve as anchors for a community of scattered farmsteads and chapels, including Lynch Chapel and Marvin Chapel, connected by early road networks and an electric line.