2014 Map of Lester

About this map

Guyandotte Mountain and Burnt Ridge define the steep, creek-carved topography of this Raleigh County region during the early twenty-first century. This landscape is shaped by the coal heritage of the Winding Gulf field, where closely spaced settlements like Stotesbury, Tams, and McAlpin follow the narrow valley floors. The map reveals a transition in transportation and land use, from the older rail-aligned communities like Slab Fork and Helen to the modern engineering of the Coalfields Expy and the Jeffrey S. Taylor Memorial Bridge near Sophia. High points such as Acord Ridge are punctuated by landmarks like the Tams Mountain Lookout Tower, while local genealogy is grounded in the Cannaday Cem and Slab Fork Cem. Natural water sources, including the Hallie Basham Spring and Richard Cozart Spring, remain noted features alongside the branching drainages of W Fork Winding Gulf and Surveyor Cr.