1931 Map of Montgomery

About this map

The Kanawha River serves as the industrial spine for this coal-country landscape, where navigation and heavy industry dominate the valley floor. The map documents the critical infrastructure of the era, including Lock 4, Lock 3, and Lock 2, which regulated the river for coal transport. At the heart of the region, the Pure Oil Refinery and the major rail hub at Montgomery illustrate the area's economic intensity. A dense network of rail lines, including the Chesapeake and Ohio and the New York Central, parallels the river, connecting a string of mining towns from Shrewsbury and Cedar Grove to Deepwater. Outside the main valley, local education is marked by several small rural institutions such as Hugheston Sch and Coal Fork Sch, located deep within the surrounding hollows like Rube Br and Smithers Cr.