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1953 Map of Load

Name: 1953 Topographic Map of Load
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1955
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1955

About this map

Tygarts Creek meanders through a landscape defined by industrial extraction and small rural congregations during the early 1950s. The region is marked by numerous clay pits and a dedicated coal field, pointing to the underlying mineral wealth that sustained these communities. The presence of the Old Raccoon Furnace near Raccoon Creek serves as a reminder of the area's deeper iron-smelting history.

Settlement is dispersed along the narrow creek valleys, anchored by the Load PO and a network of namesake country schools such as Nonchalanta Sch and Clifton Sch. Genealogists will find a high density of family-named burial grounds, including Lawhorn Cem, McGinnis Cem, and Hilton Cem, which are often located near local houses of worship like the Coal Branch Mission and Liberty Ch. A prominent pipe line cuts across the ridges, reflecting the modern energy infrastructure of the mid-century era.