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1917 Map of Naugatuck

Name: 1917 Topographic Map of Naugatuck
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1923
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1923

About this map

The Tug Fork of the Big Sandy River carves a winding path along the state boundary here, separating Mingo County, West Virginia, from Martin and Lawrence Counties in Kentucky. This pre-WWI era survey reveals a landscape where the Norfolk and Western Ry dictates the location of growing river settlements like Kermit, Warfield, and Naugatuck. The railway follows the river's sharp bends, providing a vital connection for industrializing communities such as Stonecoal and Blocton.

Away from the river corridor, the terrain transitions into a complex system of ridges and hollows, where life centered on small post offices and remote schools. Genealogists can locate the Breeden Breading PO in the northeast or the Priest School near McClure. Notable geographic landmarks like Swelled Hickory Gap and Pat Flat overlook the numerous drainages including Pigeon Creek and Jennie Creek, which structured the settlement patterns of families throughout the hills long before modern highway development.