1910 Map of Clay

About this map

The Elk River winds through the heart of Clay County, serving as the primary corridor for settlement and industry at the turn of the century. This survey, conducted just after the completion of the Coke and Coke RR, documents a landscape in transition as timber and mineral extraction reshaped central West Virginia. Small post offices such as Camp Procious PO and Eldorado PO dot the riverbanks, while the administrative hub at Clay Courthouse Station anchors the county's northern reaches. Away from the water, the topography is defined by isolated knobs like Schoonover Knob and Mt Pisgah, where rural life centered on local institutions like the Triplett School and Cove Hollow School. Traces of the region's logging heritage are evident in the presence of the Lumber RR, illustrating the early industrial network that connected remote hollows to the main rail lines.