1967 Map of War

About this map

McDowell County's coal-country landscape is defined here by the winding course of the Dry Fork and the extensive industrial infrastructure of the late 1960s. The Norfolk and Western railway threads through steep-sided valleys, connecting a sequence of company towns and mining settlements including War, Berwind, and Bartley. Evidence of the region's extraction economy is visible in the numerous labels for strip mines, mine tipples, and mine dumps that dot the ridges and hollows. Beyond the industrial zones, local life is anchored by landmarks like Mt Airy Ch and Union Ch, while recreational areas like Lake Berwind provide a contrast to the dense network of gas wells and air shafts. The map also records the precise political boundary at State Line Ridge, where West Virginia meets Virginia.