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1944 Map of Orlean

Name: 1944 Topographic Map of Orlean
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1944
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1944

About this map

Big Cobbler Mtn and Little Cobbler Mtn dominate the central landscape of this 1940s Fauquier County survey, shaping the drainage patterns and travel routes of the Piedmont region. The settlement of Orlean serves as a southern anchor, while smaller communities like Ada, Hume, and Ashville are dispersed along the road network. The map reveals a deeply rural character where life centered around local institutions such as Morgantown School and the Mt Nebo Church.

A network of river crossings and small-scale industry is evident through the placement of several fords across Thumb Run and its various branches. Landmarks like Wilsons Store and a Sawmill on the eastern edge suggest a localized economy driven by agriculture and timber. For genealogists and local historians, the precise location of several cemeteries and church sites like the Orlean Church provide specific data points for tracing family roots in this corner of Virginia during the mid-twentieth century.