1895 Map of Pocahontas

About this map

Pocahontas serves as a focal point for this late nineteenth-century study of the Appalachian coal country along the border of Virginia and West Virginia. The landscape is defined by the heavy presence of the Norfolk and Western RR, which winds through narrow gaps and valleys to connect mining and industrial outposts like Bramwell, Mayberry, and Coaldale. The industrial footprint is evident at the Bluestone Quarry, while the surrounding terrain is a complex network of high ridges, including East River Mountain and Rich Mountain. These landforms dictate the settlement patterns, forcing towns like Bluefield and Graham into the corridor between the peaks. The map provides a look at the region before modern development, showing the proliferation of small settlements and church-centered communities such as Concord Church and Bethel that once anchored these hollows during the early industrial boom.