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2014 Map of Shirley

Name: 2014 Topographic Map of Shirley
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 2014
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 2014

About this map

Middle Island Creek carves a winding path through this corner of Tyler County, defining a landscape of deep hollows and narrow ridges like Klondike Ridge. The settlement pattern follows the water, with small communities such as Centerville, Shirley, and Wilbur established near the creek banks and at the mouths of tributary runs. This distribution illustrates a classic Appalachian rural network, where life was historically tied to the bottomlands and the winding routes of roads like WV-18 and WV-23.

Genealogists and local researchers will find a significant distribution of family and community burial grounds, including Beechwood Cem, Smith Cem, and Underwood Cem. The map captures distinctive geographical features such as The Jug, a prominent horseshoe bend in the creek, and numerous named drainages like Purgatory Run and Little Camp Mistake Run, which speak to the early naming conventions of West Virginia settlers.