1922 Map of Elk Garden

About this map

The Potomac River carves a deep, winding path through this 1922 study, serving as the critical boundary between Maryland and West Virginia. Along its banks, the industrial character of the era is evident in the cluster of rail-oriented settlements like Westernport, Piedmont, and Bloomington, where the Baltimore and Ohio railroad threads through the narrow river valley. Further south, the map documents a network of highland coal towns and timber communities including Elk Garden, Vindex, and Kitzmiller. The landscape is dotted with small-scale rural infrastructure, from the Nethken School and Sharpless School to the Rehoboth Church, illustrating the scattered but organized social structure of the Potomac Highlands during the early twentieth century. These small settlements and schools provide a detailed view of the region's topography before modern development altered the local road and rail networks.