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1940 Map of Orkney Springs

Name: 1940 Topographic Map of Orkney Springs
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1965
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1965

About this map

Orkney Springs serves as a prominent mountain resort hub along the eastern edge of the state line, where the headwaters of Stony Creek descend from North Mountain. The landscape of Hardy County and Rockingham County is defined by the steep parallel ridges of Shenandoah Mountain and Lost River Mountain, which channel the Lost River and the South Branch Potomac River. Settlement follows these narrow valley corridors, marked by a dense network of country institutions such as the Jenkins Chapel, Morningstar Church, and numerous rural schoolhouses like the Snyder Springs School and Topsy School.

Evidence of early 20th-century industry appears in the northwest, where the Lumber RR Br crosses near Elkhorn Mtn. The map records a way of life organized around small, family-linked landmarks and water sources, from the Halterman Cem to the sulfur-tinged names of Powder Springs Mtn and Saltpeter Mtn. This topography highlights how the rugged geography dictated the isolation and placement of hamlets like Bergton and Mathias.