1961 Map of Shirley

About this map

Middle Island Creek and McElroy Creek carve through the deep ridges of Tyler County, defining a landscape of isolated homesteads and river-bottom communities in the early 1960s. The settlement of Centerville serves as a local hub, while smaller hamlets like Shirley, Josephs Mills, and Wilbur anchor the surrounding hollows. This survey captures a rural West Virginia economy transitioning between agricultural traditions and energy extraction, evidenced by the numerous Gas Wells and a Pumping Sta scattered among family landmarks. Genealogists will find significant detail in the placement of rural institutions such as Mt Moriah Ch, Spring Hill Cem, and the County 4H Camp. The map also documents specific land-use patterns, including a Quarry near McElroy Creek and a network of unimproved roads connecting farmsteads across Blue Ridge and Klondike Ridge.