Loading map...

1949 Map of Warm Springs

Name: 1949 Topographic Map of Warm Springs
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1949
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1949

About this map

Hot Springs and the surrounding resort landscapes of Bath County are central to this 1940s-era study of the Virginia-West Virginia borderlands. The map documents a deeply furrowed terrain defined by Allegheny Mountain and Warm Springs Mountain, where settlements are concentrated in the narrow valleys of Back Creek and the Jackson River. Local history is preserved in the numerous hollows and ridges bearing family names, such as Kellison Ridge and Stewart Hollow, indicating the early footprint of Appalachian homesteads.

Community life centers on rural institutions like Westminster Church, The Gap Sch, and the logging-related settlement of Bacova. The map also captures the critical infrastructure of the era, including Mcclintic Bridge and the rail connections at Bacova Junction. The boundary between Pocahontas and Bath counties cuts through the dense timberlands of the George Washington National Forest, illustrating how political lines were drawn across this complex topography.