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2014 Map of Dorothy

Name: 2014 Topographic Map of Dorothy
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 2014
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 2014

About this map

The coal-rich mountains of the Kanawha and Raleigh County border define this West Virginia landscape, centered on the company towns and hamlets that followed the narrow creek valleys. Along the Clear Fork, the interconnected communities of Dorothy, Colcord, and Ameagle show a pattern of settlement constrained by the steep slopes of Kayford Mtn and Coal River Mtn. Local family history is preserved in numerous upland burial sites, including Stanley Cem and Estep Bailey Cem, often located on ridges above the mines.

Industrial activity is evidenced by labels like High Coal, Notomine, and the Truax-Traer Coal Company Spring, pointing to the region's deep ties to the mining industry. The topography reaches its height at Wriston Knob, where the Wriston Knob Lookout Tower once monitored the surrounding timberlands. From Garrison in the northwest to Emerson in the west, the map traces the intricate network of hollows such as Bacon Hollow and Low Gap Hollow that have long shaped the cultural geography of this Appalachian region.