1958 Map of Elmwood

About this map

The settlement of Elmwood sits at a narrow junction of the Mudlick Fork and Sapsucker Run, illustrating the typical ridge-and-hollow settlement patterns of the West Virginia hills. In this 1958 survey, the landscape is defined by its social infrastructure of country churches and schoolhouses, such as Mount Zion Ch and New Jersey Sch, which are dispersed along the high ground of Jim Ridge and Cain Ridge. The intersection of multiple county lines, including Mason, Jackson, and Putnam, meet amidst a complex network of named drainages like Thirteenmile Creek and Eighteenmile Creek. These watercourses dictated the placement of small family cemeteries and local institutions like Walker Chapel, serving a rural population before the modern expansion of transportation networks.