1965 Map of Montgomery

About this map

The Kanawha River serves as the industrial and social backbone for this region of the Kanawha and Fayette county line, where the valley floor is densely packed with coal-era settlements and infrastructure. The city of Montgomery is prominent, hosting the West Virginia Institute of Technology and surrounded by smaller communities like Smithers, London, and Handley. This mid-century landscape is defined by the heavy presence of the Chesapeake and Ohio and Conrail railroads, which parallel the river to serve the numerous strip mines and air shafts dotting the surrounding highlands.