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2023 Map of Lester

Name: 2023 Topographic Map of Lester
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 2023
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 2023

About this map

Lester and Glen White anchor this portion of the West Virginia coalfields, where the landscape is defined by the steep-walled drainages of Winding Gulf and Slab Fork. This survey documents a complex network of company-built communities and transport corridors, including the path of the modern Coalfields Expressway winding through the high ridges. The map captures the intimate topography of the region, from the heights of Guyandotte Mountain down to family landmarks like the Cannaday Cem and Hattie Basham Spring.

Tracing the narrow valleys reveals the historic layout of settlements such as Stotesbury, Tams, and Killarney, many of which were established during the height of the regional mining boom. The distribution of these towns along watercourses like Stonecoal Creek and Mullens Branch illustrates the dependency on natural geography for industrial development in the Appalachian plateau. Long-standing local identifiers, including Burnt Ridge and Horsepen Ridge, provide a clear picture of the land as it serves both modern transit and historical memory.