2019 Map of Panther

About this map

The borderlands of the Buchanan Co McDowell Co line define this area where the state boundaries of West Virginia Virginia meet. The settlement of Panther sits along the Tug Fork river, served by the Norfolk Southern railway, while the community of Blackey marks the southwestern edge of the survey. The landscape is characterized by a dense concentration of family cemeteries, including Sullivan Cem, Hunt Cem, and Lester Cem, reflecting a long history of kinship and small mountain settlements. High ridges like State Line Ridge and Estep Ridge separate the many hollows and forks, such as Wildcat Hollow and Thimble Hollow. These topographical features indicate a traditional Appalachian pattern of settlement where homes and roads followed the narrow valley floors of Panther Creek and its many tributaries.