1923 Map of Fairmont

About this map

The industrial and community fabric of north-central West Virginia is preserved here, centered on Fairmont and the coal-rich valleys surrounding the Monongahela River. Steeped in the rail-and-resource economy of the early 1900s, the map reveals a landscape defined by mining operations like the Tyrconnell Mines and the critical junctions of the Baltimore and Ohio railroad. While Fairmont serves as the urban hub, the outlying districts of Booths Creek and Union are dotted with a remarkable density of rural institutions, such as the Janes Memorial Church and the Rock Union School. The transition from industrial riverfronts at Monongah and Watson to the rugged ridges of the Marion and Harrison County line illustrates the complex topography that shaped early settlement patterns, from the remote White Rock School to the river narrows at Valley Falls.