1995 Map of Parsons

About this map

Parsons sits at the vital confluence where the Shavers Fork and Black Fork unite to form the Cheat River, a geographic hub for the timber and mountain communities of Tucker County. This mid-1990s survey illustrates the complex drainage network of the Allegheny Mountains, including Clover Run and Dry Fork. The landscape is defined by the extensive reaches of the Monongahela National Forest, within which the Fernow Experimental Forest and the Otter Creek Wilderness preserve large tracts of high-elevation woodland. Small family-named cemeteries such as Goff Cem and Hamrick Cem are tucked along the hillsides and riverbanks, marking the deep ancestral ties of the area's residents. Further downstream, the settlements of Hambleton and Hendricks follow the narrow valley floors, while Backbone Mtn provides a significant topographic barrier to the east, illustrating the physical constraints that shaped early mountain settlement and transport.