1939 Map of Louisa

About this map

The Big Sandy River and Tug Fork define this West Virginia and Kentucky borderland as it appeared in the late 1930s. Centered on the riverside settlement of Fort Gay, the map illustrates a landscape tied heavily to its watercourses and the Norfolk and Western railroad corridor. While the riverbanks host larger hubs like Prichard and Saltpetre, the inland ridges of Pharaoh and the surrounding hollows are dotted with small community institutions. Numerous rural schools, including the notably named Double Cabin Sch and Christian Hill Sch, reveal a dispersed population pattern common in the Appalachian plateau before significant consolidation. These schoolhouses, along with local landmarks like Brick Ch and the mineral waters of Minnow Springs, provide specific geographic markers for tracing family heritage and land use along the forks of the river.