1967 Map of Swandale

About this map

Buffalo Creek carves a deep valley through this West Virginia landscape, anchoring the coal and timber communities of Swandale and Cressmont. The 1967 field data reveals a landscape defined by industrial extraction and high-ridge vantage points, most notably the Widen Lookout Tower on Pond Ridge. While the creek bottoms support small settlements like Eakle, the higher ground is characterized by extensive resource work, indicated by multiple Strip Mine and Tailings labels. The map provides a detailed look at the social fabric of the hollows, marking numerous country churches and family burial grounds, such as Pleasant Dale Ch and the Ramsey Cem. Narrow trails and unimproved roads wind along the forks of Wallowhole Run and Lick Run, connecting isolated homesteads to larger drainages like the Lilly Fork and Beech Fork.