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1957 Map of Romance

Name: 1957 Topographic Map of Romance
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1959
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1959

About this map

The Pocatalico River carves a winding path through the heart of Kanawha County, defining a landscape of deep hollows and high ridges that shaped the development of communities like Romance and Island Branch. This mid-century survey reveals a highly decentralized rural structure, where life centered on small, family-named landmarks and institutions. Numerous churches and schools are scattered across the terrain, including Pleasant Grove Ch and the Belle Sch, serving the residents of isolated valleys such as Davis Hollow and Parsons Hollow.

Gas exploration is a primary industrial feature of the era, indicated by an extensive network of pipelines and unlabelled wells cutting across the ridges. Genealogists will find significant value in the many well-documented burial sites, such as Clendenin Cem and Vandine Cem, many of which are located near original homesteads or at the junctions of creek forks like Patterson Fork and Grapevine Creek.