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1891 Map of Romney

Name: 1891 Topographic Map of Romney
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1902
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1902

About this map

Romney and Moorefield serve as the primary hubs in this late 19th-century survey of the Potomac Highlands, where the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad skirts the northern edge through Keyser and Springfield. The landscape is dominated by the parallel ridges of Mill Creek Mountain and South Branch Mountain, which channel the South Branch Potomac River and its numerous tributaries. These watercourses were central to the local economy, supporting sites like Adams Mill and the Capon Iron Works in the southeastern corner.

Small agricultural and milling communities such as North River Mills, Purgitsville, and Slanesville are connected by a network of early roads following the gaps and valleys. The map documents the intricate drainage systems of the Little Cacapon River and North River, providing genealogists a clear view of the rural hamlets and family-named runs like Tuckers Run and Waites Run that defined Hampshire, Mineral, and Hardy counties during this era.