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1959 Map of Lead Mine

Name: 1959 Topographic Map of Lead Mine
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1961
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1961

About this map

Backbone Mountain and Laurel Mountain dominate this 1959 survey of the West Virginia highlands, where industrial activity and isolated mountain settlements coexist. The southeastern corner of the quadrangle reveals a concentrated corridor of extraction and transport along the North Branch Potomac River, characterized by numerous Strip Mines and the rail infrastructure of the Western Maryland railroad. Settlements such as Thomas, Benbush, and Pierce are clustered near these industrial sites, while the small community of Douglas serves the local mining population.

In contrast, the western and northern reaches of the map show a landscape defined by the Monongahela National Forest and rural life. Community centers like Lead Mine and Shafer are scattered among family-named landmarks including Hile Cem and Kight Cem. Deep within the mountain folds, the Horseshoe Run YMCA Camp and the Sugarland Sch represent the social fabric of these remote upland valleys before later 20th-century shifts in mountain living.