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2011 Map of Gilmer

Name: 2011 Topographic Map of Gilmer
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 2011
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 2011

About this map

The Little Kanawha River and its tributary, the Sand Fork, dictate the settlement patterns of this central West Virginia landscape. Small hamlets and post offices serve as local hubs, including Stouts Mills and the Gilmer Post Office in the south, while Donlan and Ellis anchor the northern reaches. The area is defined by its ridge-and-hollow topography, with narrow roads like Sliding Run-Stouts Mill and Butchers Fork Rd following the meandering path of numerous runs and forks.

Local history is preserved in a dense network of family-named burial grounds, such as Messenger Cemetery, Keith Cemetery, and Mick Cemetery, often situated on high ground overlooking the creek bottoms. These cemeteries, alongside landmarks like Locust Knob and Marshall Hollow, provide a detailed record of the families who settled these hills. The map illustrates a rural economy historically tied to these waterways and the rugged terrain of the Appalachian Plateau.