1965 Map of Sylvester

About this map

The Big Coal River carves a winding path through this portion of Sherman District, anchoring a corridor of rail-served coal settlements during the mid-1960s. Following the riverbank and the Chesapeake and Ohio railroad, towns such as Seth, Fosterville, Orgas, and Sylvester reveal the concentrated industrial and residential development of the era. Extensive Strip Mines mark the high ridges above Joes Creek and White Oak Creek, illustrating the intense extraction activity that defined the regional economy. Beyond the mines, local life is documented through several hilltop burial grounds, including Pettry Cem and Mt Hope Cem, and social markers like the Drive-in Theater near Sylvester. This survey captures a moment when the transition from deep valley mining to ridge-top strip mining was visibly reshaping the landscape of Boone and Kanawha counties.