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1966 Map of Ivydale

Name: 1966 Topographic Map of Ivydale
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1968
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1968

About this map

The Baltimore and Ohio railroad tracks follow the winding course of the Elk River as it cuts through the center of this 1960s West Virginia landscape. The settlement of Ivydale sits at a sharp river bend, serving as a focal point for a region characterized by deep hollows and high ridges like Horse Ridge and McColgan Ridge. Small communities and family-named landmarks are scattered throughout the terrain, including the Otterlick Community and the distinctively named Little Italy.

Evidence of the area's resource economy is visible in the numerous Gas Well and Oil Well sites dotting the hillsides, connected by a network of pipelines and steep jeep trails. Local social life is anchored by country churches such as Zion Hill Ch, White Pilgrim Ch, and Cherrytree Ch. From the heights of Big Otter Mtn down to the valley floors at Elana and Dink, the map captures a rural Appalachian network of ridges and runs before the modern highway system fully altered the local character.