Loading map...

1984 Map of Charleston

Name: 1984 Topographic Map of Charleston
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1984
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1984

About this map

The Kanawha River serves as the industrial and transportation spine of this 1980s landscape, connecting the capital at Charleston with a string of riverside towns including Saint Albans, Nitro, and Dunbar. Heavy infrastructure is prominent, from the Kanawha Airport on the heights to the London Lock and Dam and Marmet Lock and Dam regulating the river's flow. Educational landmarks like West Virginia State College and the West Virginia Institute of Technology anchor their respective communities, while the complex rail network of the Chesapeake & Ohio and Baltimore & Ohio railroads highlights the region's enduring role in coal and freight transport.

Away from the river corridors, the map reveals a transition into the wooded highlands of Kanawha State Forest and Hawks Nest State Park. Small, localized place names like Reamer (Sybial PO) and Queen Shoals along the Elk River offer precise locations for genealogists. The integration of major interstates like I-64 and I-77 with older routes like Us 60 illustrates the mid-century evolution of West Virginia's travel corridors.