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1911 Map of Madison

Name: 1911 Topographic Map of Madison
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1911
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1911

About this map

The Little Coal River carves through the heart of Boone County, anchoring a landscape defined by its deep hollows and narrow valleys before the major industrial expansions of the mid-20th century. At this time, the Chesapeake and Ohio railroad serves as the primary artery for the region, navigating the difficult terrain via significant engineering works like Blue Tom Tunnel, Sproul Tunnel, and Pinnacle Tunnel.

Community life centers on the county seat of Madison and neighboring Danville, with smaller settlements such as Griffithsville, Yawkey, and Uneeda scattered along the creeks. The presence of Olive Branch Church and numerous named gaps and knobs, including Brushy Knob and Sugarcamp Knob, highlights the traditional Appalachian settlement patterns of the early 1900s. This survey records a moment when transport was transitioning from river-based paths to a complex rail network that would eventually drive the area's coal economy.