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1924 Map of Littleton

Name: 1924 Topographic Map of Littleton
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1957
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1957

About this map

The Baltimore and Ohio railroad corridor anchors the economy of this 1920s landscape, winding through the valley from Littleton toward the southwest. This era of West Virginia culture, revised by E.L. Ireland, reveals a remarkably dense network of rural infrastructure, where nearly every ridge and hollow supported a community institution. From Saint Joseph in the north to Smithfield in the south, the map is populated by an extraordinary number of country schools and chapels, such as Greenwood School and Higgins Chapel.

The complex drainage of Fishing Creek and its countless tributaries like Little Fishing Creek dictated the placement of settlements and roads. While the ridges like Franklin Ridge and Lowman Ridge remain sparsely settled, the valleys are dotted with tiny hamlets and industrial points including Hastings, Pine Grove, and Jacksonburg. This survey provides a clear look at the region’s topography before modern development altered these tight-knit Appalachian valley communities.