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1915 Map of Cowen

Name: 1915 Topographic Map of Cowen
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1953
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1953

About this map

Camden on Gauley and Cowen serve as central hubs in this 1915 survey of the Webster and Nicholas County line, a landscape defined by the winding Gauley River and the industrial reach of the Baltimore and Ohio RR. The map documents a dense network of rural infrastructure, from the early operations at Gauley Mills to more than two dozen scattered educational sites like Cottle Glade School and Mt Thomas School.

Resource extraction and the timber economy are evident in the naming of Timber Ridge and Cranberry Timber, while the early 20th-century postal system is represented by Marcus PO and Woodbine PO. This topography highlights the transition of the region as the Monongahela National Forest boundary appears alongside active and even early abandoned railroad corridors, reflecting the rapid shifts in mountain industry during the era.