1908 Map of Montgomery

About this map

Kanawha River coal and transportation networks dominate this 1908 survey, where the river valley serves as a critical corridor for the Chesapeake and Ohio Railroad and the Kanawha and Michigan Division. The settlement pattern is strictly dictated by the narrow valley floors, with industrial towns like Montgomery, Handley, and Cannelton anchored between steep ridges and the water. Navigation infrastructure is evident through Lock No 2, Lock No 3, and Lock No 4, which managed the river's flow for heavy barge traffic. Inland, the map reveals a series of tributary-hollow settlements such as Carbondale, Marting, and Sharon, showing how mining and timber operations pushed deep into the surrounding terrain. Notable geographic features like the Wheeler Islands and high points such as Payne Knob provide landmarks for researchers tracing the early 20th-century industrial development of the Kanawha and Fayette county borders.