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1899 Map of Charleston

Name: 1899 Topographic Map of Charleston
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1906
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1906

About this map

The Kanawha River serves as the industrial and transportation spine of this region during the late nineteenth century, flanked by the competing tracks of the Chesapeake and Ohio R. R. and the Kanawha and Michigan R. R. This survey reveals a landscape transitioning from river-based commerce to a heavy rail-and-resource economy, evidenced by the series of river improvements at Lock Seven, Lock 6, and Lock 5.

Away from the state capital at Charleston, the map traces the winding paths of the Coal River and Little Coal River into the steep hills of Boone and Lincoln counties. Settlements like Winifrede and Graham Mines indicate the burgeoning extractive industries, while numerous family-named peaks such as Workman Knob and Hughes Knob provide landmarks for local historians. This era shows the dense network of small communities like Saint Albans and Griffithsville before modern highway development reconfigured the valley.