1960 Map of Masontown

About this map

Masontown and the surrounding coal-country plateau of Preston and Monongalia counties are defined here by a dense industrial and transport network. The Baltimore and Ohio railroad corridor tracks along Deckers Creek, serving the coal-loading operations at Bretz and Cascade. This 1960 field-checked survey captures the area's complex settlement patterns, from the planned subsistence community of Arthurdale to smaller named hamlets like Rohr and Guseman. To the north, the terrain drops sharply toward the Cheat River, where the Coopers Rock State Forest overlooks Beaverhole and the Cheat View overlook. Cultural landmarks including the Sturgiss Sch, Zinn Chapel, and a Drive-in Theater near Dillan Creek offer specific touchpoints for local historians and genealogists researching the mid-century landscape of West Virginia's coal fields.