1920 Map of Petersburg

About this map

Smoke Hole Settlement anchors this 1920 survey of the West Virginia highlands, where early Appalachian life is mapped through a dense network of valley schools and mountain gaps. The Baltimore and Ohio RR skirts the northern edge along the South Br Potomac R, but the interior remains a landscape of isolated ridges like North Fork Mountain and Elkhorn Mountain. The proliferation of educational sites, such as Royal Glen School and Sweedlin Valley School, indicates a deeply rooted community structure before the mid-century consolidation of rural districts.