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2010 Map of Petroleum

Name: 2010 Topographic Map of Petroleum
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 2010
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 2010

About this map

Volcano Oil Field and the surrounding Ritchie County landscape are defined by the legacy of early extraction, appearing here as a complex network of ridges and runs south of Stillwell Creek. The settlement of Petroleum sits at the junction of Goose Creek and Oil Spring Run, anchoring a region once central to West Virginia's oil boom. Genealogists can find numerous family and community burial grounds scattered across the high ground, including the Independent Order of Odd Fellows Cemetery near Mount Carmel, the Greenhill Catholic Cemetery, and the Freeport Cemetery near the banks of the Hughes River.

Transport patterns are dictated by the narrow valleys of Walker Creek and Laurel Run, while historic crossings like Deems Ford and landmarks such as the California House denote old routes through the hills. This modern survey also documents recreational development at Camp Ko-Otaga and the Walker Creek Rec Impoundment Dam, showing how the land has transitioned from its industrial peaks at Volcano and Oil Spring toward forest and conservation.