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1928 Map of Matewan

Name: 1928 Topographic Map of Matewan
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1928
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1928

About this map

The Tug Fork river carves a winding boundary between Kentucky and West Virginia, anchoring a landscape defined by the coal economy of the late 1920s. Along the river valley and its steep-walled tributaries, the Norfolk and Western RR provides the vital infrastructure for mountain settlements like Matewan and Thacker. Industrial activity is centered at the Puritan Mines and Thacker Mines, with worker housing and local life concentrated in places such as Red Jacket and Delbarton.

Remote hollows are dotted with small educational centers like the Hatfield Sch and Elk Forest Sch, reflecting the localized nature of community during this era. The presence of the Appalachian Electric Power Company lines suggests the early electrification of these hollows. This 1928 edition also preserves the location of rural post offices that served as local hubs, including Delorme Edgerton PO and Devon O'Keeffe PO.