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1895 Map of Pocahontas

Name: 1895 Topographic Map of Pocahontas
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1900
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1900

About this map

The Norfolk and Western RR cuts through the heavy terrain of the central Appalachians on this late nineteenth-century survey, linking the mining and mountain communities of Virginia and West Virginia. Concentrated industrial activity is evident along the northern edge in settlements like Algoma, Eckman, and McDowell, while Bluefield and Graham serve as central nodes for the region's transport network. A unique geological feature, Burke Garden, appears as a distinct valley surrounded by the high ridges of Garden Mountain.

Further south and east, the landscape transitions to the more agrarian and rural settings of Bland and Princeton. Local history researchers will find early crossroads like Concord Church and numerous named gaps and peaks, including Peeled Chestnut Gap and Dial Rock, which defined movement through this territory before modern highways. This survey details the complex relationship between the coal-rich mountains and the growing rail towns at the dawn of the twentieth century.