1891 Map of St. George

About this map

Trowbridge Ferry provides a crossing point over the Cheat River in this survey of the rugged northern West Virginia highlands, conducted by Henry Gannett and Gilbert Thompson between 1883 and 1885. The landscape is defined by the steep elevation of Great Backbone Mountain and the Laurel Hills, where narrow valleys dictate the paths of early infrastructure. The Baltimore and Ohio Railroad cuts through the mountains via Tunnelton and Rowlesburg, while the Grafton and Belington Railroad follows the Tygart Valley River in the west. These rail lines connected industrial outposts like Valley Furnace and Newburg to the regional economy. Settlements like St George and Kingwood stand as established hubs among a network of smaller farming and mining communities, including New Interest and Fellowsville, which are deeply intertwined with the winding runs and creeks that feed the Cheat and Monongahela watersheds.