1996 Map of Pax

About this map

Paint Mountain and the Town Plateau define the high terrain of this West Virginia coal country at the close of the twentieth century. The landscape is marked by the industrial footprints of numerous Strip Mine operations and a complex transportation network that includes the West Virginia Turnpike, complete with its Tollgate near Mossy. Deep in the hollows and along the winding watercourses like Clear Fork and Paint Fork, a dense network of family-named cemeteries and small settlements reveals the area's social history. Genealogists can trace family names through sites such as the Workman Cem, Lafferty Cem, and Wriston Cem. The map captures the transition between the traditional mining communities of Milburn and Kingston and the modern infrastructure of the turnpike's Interchange 60, while the presence of the Plum Orchard Lake State Wildlife Mgmt Area indicates the regional focus on conservation and recreation.