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1909 Map of Clendenin

Name: 1909 Topographic Map of Clendenin
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1909
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1909

About this map

The Elk River carves a winding path through the heart of Kanawha County in this 1907 survey, defining the industrial and social life of the region during the early twentieth century. Along its banks, the Coal and Coke River railroad facilitates the movement of resources, connecting settlements like Clendenin, Falling Rock, and Queen Shoals. The interior landscape is a dense network of steep ridges and narrow hollows, where family-named landmarks such as Jarretts Ford and Hickory Knob suggest deep roots in the mountain terrain.

Local life is anchored by community nodes such as Dry Ridge School and the many small settlements tucked into the forks of the Blue Creek. Mining and timber influences are evident in the positioning of towns like Blakeley, Putney, and Mammoth in the southern reaches of the quadrangle. The map captures the area just as the transition from river-based transport to rail-heavy industry was fully reshaping these West Virginia hollows.