1915 Map of Matewan

About this map

Tug Fork carves a deep path through the coal-bearing hills of Mingo County, West Virginia, and Kentucky, serving as both a political boundary and a lifeline for the region's developing industry. The landscape is defined by its intense drainage patterns, with Mate Creek and Beech Creek branching through narrow valleys that host the era's vital rail and mining infrastructure. The 1915 survey reveals a society organized around extraction, featuring coal-centric settlements such as Thacker Mines, New Thacker, and Merrimac. High above the river, Hatfield Mtn dominates the terrain, overlooking the riverbank community of Matewan. The presence of the Blackberry Fork School near the Kentucky border highlights the early social hubs that supported the families of this labor-intensive mountain economy during its industrial peak.