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1908 Map of Ravenswood

Name: 1908 Topographic Map of Ravenswood
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1919
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1919

About this map

The Ohio River dominates this landscape as it carves a dramatic oxbow through the borderlands of West Virginia and Ohio. This early 20th-century survey documents a river-driven economy before the widespread construction of modern locks and dams, where settlements like Letart Falls and Ravenswood served as vital nodes for transport and trade. The Baltimore and Ohio RR hugs the riverbank, connecting industrial centers such as Syracuse and New Haven to the broader regional network.

Inland, the terrain rises sharply into ridges like Thomas Ridge and Chesnut Ridge, where small communities are anchored by local institutions. Numerous country schools, including Excelsior School and Hopedale School, and hilltop churches like Mt Hebron Church and Antioch Church, reveal the footprint of rural life during this era. The map also highlights the complex geography of the river itself, featuring Buffington Island and the prominent Great Bend, alongside numerous named runs and creeks that fed into the valley's industrial and agricultural heart.