1976 Map of Shirley

About this map

Centerville and Shirley stand as the primary settlements within this 1976 orthophotoquad, which captures the densely wooded and deeply dissected terrain of Tyler County. The serpentine path of Middle Island Creek dominates the landscape, its winding valley providing the only level ground for agriculture and transit in an otherwise heavily forested region. This imagery, produced in cooperation with the Soil Conservation Service, offers a detailed look at the land use patterns during the mid-1970s, showing how small homesteads and clearings were integrated into the sharp ridges and narrow hollows characteristic of the West Virginia panhandle. The aerial perspective reveals the relationship between the sinuous watercourse and the rural road network that follows the creek's natural corridor.