Loading map...

1927 Map of Gilbert

Name: 1927 Topographic Map of Gilbert
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1927
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1927

About this map

The Guyandot and Tug River RR and the Norfolk and Western Railway follow the winding river valleys in this 1920s survey of southern West Virginia. This rugged section of the Cumberland Plateau is defined by the sharp divides between the Guyandot River and the Tug Fork, where industrial transit and small settlements were squeezed into the narrow hollows. At the center of the sheet, the village of Gilbert and neighboring West Gilbert serve as hubs for the surrounding coal and timber country.

Family identity is deeply rooted in the landscape, evidenced by the numerous schools named for local families, including the Jim Hatfield School, Craig Hatfield School, and Browning School. The presence of junctions like Glenalum Junc and settlements such as Tamcliff and Wharncliffe reflects the vital role of the rail network in moving resources out of the mountains. From the heights of Buffalo Mountain to the depths of Twisted Gun Gap, the map records a specific era of Appalachian settlement before modern highway expansion altered these traditional mountain corridors.