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1902 Map of Fairmont

Name: 1902 Topographic Map of Fairmont
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1907
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1907

About this map

The Monongahela River and its major tributaries, the Tygart River and West Fork River, dictate the rugged geography of this early twentieth-century survey. At the northern confluence, Fairmont serves as the primary urban hub, flanked by settlements like Palatine and Watson. The landscape is defined by its deep river valleys and the early industrial infrastructure that supported them, including the extensive operations at the Tyrconnell Mines and the rail corridors of the Baltimore and Ohio RR.

A network of historical turnpikes, such as the Fairmont and Grafton Turnpike, connects the river towns to upland rural communities. Genealogists will find a wealth of local landmarks, from high points like Kincaid Knob and Bald Knob to community gathering spots such as Mt Zion Church and Nebo Church. This sheet captures the region's transition into a coal and rail-driven economy, documented just before many of these smaller settlements and the original paths of the Northwestern Virginia RR were transformed by further industrial expansion.