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1931 Map of Charleston

Name: 1931 Topographic Map of Charleston
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1956
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1956

About this map

The Kanawha River and Elk River confluence serves as the industrial and civic anchor for this region during the early 1930s. The landscape is defined by a dense corridor of river-dependent activity stretching from South Charleston through Charleston to Marmet, where three major rail lines—the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad, New York Central Railroad, and Chesapeake and Ohio Railroad—converge to transport the area's natural resources. Notable riverside features include Blaine Island and the US Navy Reservation, signaling the strategic importance of the valley.

Away from the industrial riverfront, the map documents a transition into the hollows and ridges of Kanawha County, marked by a high concentration of community landmarks. Dozens of rural institutions like the Meyers Sch, Oak Hill Sch, and Morgan Chapel are scattered throughout the hills, providing valuable points of reference for genealogists tracing family roots in settlements like Malden and Guthrie. Distinctive terrain markers, such as the ancient Mound near South Charleston, highlight the area's long human history.