Loading map...

1968 Map of Lorado

Name: 1968 Topographic Map of Lorado
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1989
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1989

About this map

Lorado and the surrounding coal camps of the Buffalo Creek valley appear here as they were during the late 1960s, a period marked by extensive industrial activity and mountain-top modification. This West Virginia landscape is defined by the heavy footprint of the mining industry, with numerous Strip Mines, Mine Dumps, and Tailings Ponds concentrated along the ridges of Spring Mountain and Crook Mountain. The settlement pattern follows the narrow valley floors, where the Buffalo Creek drainage supports tight-knit communities like Pardee, Saunders, and Craneco.

Tracing the transport network reveals a specialized industrial geography, including a Conveyor system near Lorado and several Tipple locations used to process coal. Beyond the mines, local landmarks like the Spring Mountain Lookout Tower and remote Cemeteries provide touchstones for genealogists. The map also documents the intersections of Boone, Logan, and Wyoming counties, following rugged terrain from Bald Knob down to the headwaters of Huff Creek and Bright Prospect Creek.