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1902 Map of Parkersburg

Name: 1902 Topographic Map of Parkersburg
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1902
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1902

About this map

The confluence of the Little Kanawha River and the Ohio River centers this 1902 survey, illustrating the industrial and transport hub of Parkersburg. The map captures a critical period of riverfront development and rail expansion, with the Baltimore and Ohio R. R. tracing the shorelines of both Ohio and West Virginia. On the Ohio side, the Muskingum River flows into the valley, supporting a network of riverside settlements like Belpre and Rockland.

Notable for genealogists and local historians, the sheet identifies numerous small landings and interior crossroads such as Watertown, Veto, and Decaturville. The prominent Blennerhassett Island sits in the middle of the Ohio River, while the dense street grids of Vienna and Beechwood show the northward growth of the region. This topography reveals how the river-bottom farming tracts, like Washington and Blennerhassett, coexisted with the emerging rail economy of the early twentieth century.