1901 Map of Kanawha Falls

About this map

The Kanawha River and Gauley River converge in a landscape defined by deep river valleys and early industrial hubs at the end of the nineteenth century. Surveyed in 1895, this sheet captures the essential rail infrastructure of the Chesapeake and Ohio RR and Kanawha and Michigan RR as they follow the riverbanks through major coal and transport centers like Montgomery, Cannelton, and Cedar Grove. The northern reaches along the Elk River show smaller riverside settlements such as Clendenin and Queen Shoal, separated from the southern industrial corridor by high peaks including Bird Knob and Mt. Desert. This mapping provides a look at the region before modern development, identifying early river locks like Lock 2 and numerous family-named landmarks such as Carnes Knob and Johnson Knob that serve as vital coordinates for genealogists tracing West Virginia family history.