1927 Map of Gilbert

About this map

Guyandot River dominates the central landscape of this West Virginia study, winding through a network of steep hollows and ridges where the coal-country economy was taking shape. The river serves as a corridor for the Norfolk and Western RR, which connects settlements like Gilbert, Mallory, and Man. This era of the late 1920s reveals a highly localized social geography, with numerous family-named landmarks and institutions such as Craig Hatfield School and Jim Hatfield School reflecting the deep roots of the Hatfield family in this region. The map captures an era when rural life was anchored by landmarks like Pounding Mill and dozens of creek-side schools including Mudlick School and Muzzle School. Along the southern border, the winding Tug Fork and the Norfolk and Western RR trace the state line with Kentucky, passing through Wharncliffe and War Eagle.