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1946 Map of Mc Dowell

Name: 1946 Topographic Map of Mc Dowell
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1946
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1946

About this map

Mc Dowell and the valley of the Bullpasture River anchor this mid-century topographic record of the Virginia-West Virginia borderlands. The map highlights a remote mountain landscape defined by parallel ridges like Jack Mountain and Shenandoah Mountain, where small agricultural and timber communities were connected by the historic Staunton and Parkersburg Turnpike. In these isolated gaps and hollows, local life centered around rural institutions such as Mc Kendree Ch and the Gammel Sch.

Evidence of early industry and mountain transit is preserved through labels for Simons Mill and high-elevation landmarks like Signal Corps Knob. Further east, the drainage of the Calfpasture River and its numerous drafts, such as Jonas Draft and Ramsey Draft, reveal a complex network of seasonal watercourses and ridges that dictated the settlement patterns of Highland County and Augusta County. This survey offers a clear view of the area before modern development altered the footprint of these historic high-country crossroads.