1962 Map of Louisa

About this map

Louisa, Kentucky, and Fort Gay, West Virginia, sit at the strategic confluence where the Tug Fork and Levisa Fork join to form the Big Sandy River. This 1962 survey illustrates the vital rail and river corridor shared by Lawrence County and Wayne County, dominated by the routes of the Chesapeake and Ohio and Norfolk and Western railroads. Away from the river banks, the terrain is defined by complex ridges such as Watts Ridge and Pine Ridge, where numerous family cemeteries like Hinkle Cem and Frasher Cem are tucked into the hollows. The presence of several rural institutions, including Mill Creek Sch and Bartram Chapel, suggests a landscape of small, self-contained upland communities like Saltpetre and Glenhayes that remained largely distinct from the industrial activity of the lowland rail junctions and the prominent Lookout Tower on Pine Hill.