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1968 Map of Pilot Knob

Name: 1968 Topographic Map of Pilot Knob
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1971
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1971

About this map

Kopperston and the surrounding coal-bearing ridges of the Kanawha Valley define this 1968 landscape, where industrial activity is deeply etched into the topography of the Appalachian Plateaus. The map reveals an extensive network of extractive operations, including Strip Mine sites, numerous Gas Well locations, and infrastructure like Mine Dump areas and a large Tailings Pond near the Norfolk and Western rail line. This industrial footprint is countered by small, localized landmarks like Ringwood Ch and family-named terrain features such as Jarrells Flats.

Transportation routes follow the winding hollows carved by the Pond Fork and Marsh Fork rivers. Higher elevations like Cook Mountain and Cherry Pond Mountain separate the drainages, while gaps like Indian Gap and Hazy Gap provide the only natural passage through the steep ridges. The presence of both the Chesapeake and Ohio and Norfolk and Western railroads underscores the region's historical importance as a coal-producing hub during the mid-20th century.