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1957 Map of Kanawha

Name: 1957 Topographic Map of Kanawha
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1976
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1976

About this map

The Little Kanawha River carves a winding path through this portion of Wood and Wirt Counties, defining a landscape shaped by both industry and rural community in the mid-1950s. The Baltimore and Ohio railroad corridor tracks the river's northern bank, connecting small settlements like Davisville and Kanawha Station. This area is heavily dotted with oil wells, reflecting the region’s long-standing energy production, while numerous country churches and schools like Vaught Chapel and Leachtown Schs serve the upland farms.

The rugged terrain is marked by prominent elevations such as Butcher Hill and McKusic Hill, with a dense network of watercourses including Stillwell Creek and Tygart Creek draining the timbered ridges. To the south, the junction of the Little Kanawha and the Hughes River near Greencastle highlights the importance of these waterways for early transport and settlement patterns. Detailed infrastructure, from a 4-H Camp to the County Beagle Club, illustrates the recreational and social character of the West Virginia countryside during this era.