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1941 Map of Monterey

Name: 1941 Topographic Map of Monterey
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1963
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1963

About this map

Monterey serves as the central hub of this Highland County landscape, situated where the Parkersburg and Staunton Turnpike cuts between Monterey Mountain and Jack Mountain. The mapping, based on 1940s surveys, reveals a settlement pattern dictated by the high-elevation valleys of the Jackson River and the South Branch Potomac River. Small mountain communities like New Hampden, Vanderpool, and Hightown are connected by narrow roads that trace the floor of the Crab Bottom and the base of the Allegheny Mountain ridge.

Evidence of rural life is captured through the distribution of one-room schoolhouses and remote churches, including Strait Creek Sch, Union Chapel, and Hamilton Chapel. The complex hydrology of the Eastern Continental Divide is visible at The Divide near Hightown, where waters separate toward the Potomac and James River basins. Strategic landmarks such as the Sounding Knob Lookout and numerous family-named points like Trimble Knob and Ginseng Mtn provide essential context for genealogists and local historians studying these upland townships.