1963 Map of Delbarton

About this map

The Norfolk and Western railway snakes through the narrow valleys of Mingo County, defining the industrial and social life of this coal country during the mid-1960s. The map illustrates a dense network of mountain communities such as Delbarton, Red Jacket, and Matewan that developed along the winding Pigeon Creek and the Tug Fork river. This era shows the landscape heavily influenced by extraction, with Lando Mines and various Gas Wells appearing alongside established family landmarks. The topographic detail reveals how settlements were forced into the hollows, often centered around local spiritual and ancestral sites like the Elk Creek Community Ch, Varney Cem, and Phillips Cem. From the high vantage point of Buffalo Mtn and its Lookout Tower, the map captures the transition from high-ridgeline wilderness to the bustling rail corridors that connected these West Virginia and Kentucky border towns.