1914 Map of Crawford

About this map

Collins Settlement and the surrounding districts of Lewis and Upshur counties reveal a landscape defined by the rugged headwaters of the West Fork River and the Kanawha River. Surveyed in the early 1910s, the map documents a decentralized network of small mountain communities and one-room schoolhouses like Radabaugh School and McCutcheon School that served the rural population. The West Virginia and Pittsburg RR skirts the western edge through Roanoke, while the interior relies on older hubs like Alkires Mills and Frenchton. Distinctive topographic landmarks, such as the curiously named Devils Darning Needle and Handkerchief Knob, serve as natural waypoints between the narrow hollows. This era represents the peak of rural settlement density in these highlands, before the consolidation of industry and schools altered the local geography.