1967 Map of Gary

About this map

Gary and the surrounding coal camps of the West Virginia coalfields are captured in high detail at the end of the 1960s. The landscape is defined by the industrial footprint of the Norfolk and Western railway, which follows the winding course of the Tug Fork and its tributaries like Adkin Creek and Sandlick Creek. The map documents a dense network of extraction, featuring numerous Mines, Air Shafts, and extensive Strip Mines that follow the contour of the ridges. Smaller company towns and settlements such as Thorpe, Elbert, Filbert, and Venus are clustered along the narrow valley floors, while higher elevations like Maxwell Gap remain largely undeveloped except for timber and mining access via the Western Trail. This survey provides a precise record of the regional rail-to-mine infrastructure before subsequent decades of industrial transition changed the character of these McDowell County communities.