1933 Map of Bruceton

About this map

Cheat River carves a deep path through the southwestern corner of this West Virginia and Pennsylvania borderland, defining a landscape of high ridges and narrow valleys. This 1933 edition, revised from earlier fieldwork, shows a rural landscape densely populated with country schools and churches that served small agrarian communities. The settlement of Bruceton Mills stands near the center of the sheet along Big Sandy Creek, while industrial activity is localized at the Gaflisch Mine and timber or grain processing at Ruthbelle Mill. A high concentration of educational sites, such as the Wymps Gap School and Glade Meadow School, reflects the decentralized nature of social life before rural school consolidation. Geologically, the area is bounded by prominent elevations including Chestnut Ridge and Laurel Mountain, with the interstate Pennsylvania West Virginia Boundary Line cutting through the northern third of the map.