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1893 Map of Sutton

Name: 1893 Topographic Map of Sutton
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1900
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1900

About this map

The Little Kanawha River and Elk River wind through the heart of central West Virginia in this topographic survey from the late 19th century. This terrain is characterized by a dense network of watercourses and family-named knobs, such as Powell Knob and James Knob, which dictated the early settlement patterns of Gilmer and Braxton counties. Significant transportation infrastructure of the era is documented, including the West Virginia and Pittsburg Railroad and the Sutton Branch, which connected remote timber and coal regions to broader markets.

Local history researchers will find numerous small settlements that served as nineteenth-century community hubs, including Glenville, Burnsville, and Salt Lick Bridge. The map captures the region before the large-scale industrial changes of the 20th century, showing the original locations of rural post offices like Stumptown, Letter Gap, and Shock, along with local landmarks like Stouts Mills and Bealls Mills.