1958 Map of Mount Alto

About this map

The Kanawha River meets the Ohio River just south of this region, which in the late 1950s remained a landscape of ridgeline farms and narrow hollows. At the southern bend of the Kanawha sits Beech Hill (Southside PO), while the northern border is defined by the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad following the Ohio River bank near Mount Alto. The interior of the Mason County countryside is densely marked with the social infrastructure of a rural era, featuring numerous country schools like Bearwallow Sch and Mountain Flower Sch, and small churches such as Mt Olive Ch and Harvey Chapel. The terrain is characterized by prominent elevations like Chestnut Ridge and Thomas Ridge, which dictated the winding paths of the local road network and the placement of family cemeteries such as the Sayre Cem and Morgan Cem.