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1906 Map of Saint Marys

Name: 1906 Topographic Map of Saint Marys
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1906
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1906

About this map

St Marys serves as the focal point along the Ohio River in this early twentieth-century survey, positioned where the Baltimore and Ohio RR hugs the riverbank. The landscape is defined by the sharp transition from the broad river valley and its prominent islands, Grape Island and Middle Island, to the intricate network of steep ridges and narrow runs that characterize the West Virginia interior. The transportation of the era is evident in the Pike and Turnpike roads that wind through the hills, connecting isolated rural hubs.

Local life at the turn of the century is marked by scattered schools and churches, such as the Ninemile Schoolhouse and Mt Carmel Church. Industry is largely rural and water-driven, seen in the presence of Union Mills and Falls Mills. Small riverfront settlements like Ravenrock and Vaucluse illustrate the importance of the river corridor, while inland communities like Hebron and Calcutta highlight the deep-valley settlement patterns of the Pleasants County backcountry.