1915 Map of Webster Springs

About this map

The Elk River and Gauley River headwaters dominate this 1915 survey of the West Virginia highlands, revealing a landscape defined by isolated homesteads and the emerging timber industry. The town of Webster Springs serves as the primary hub, while rural life is anchored by a dense network of country schools such as Cherry Falls School and St Marys School. Evidence of the region's industrial development is visible in the Timber Railroad lines that snake through the drainage basins of the Williams River and Cranberry River. Small crossroads like Upper Glade PO and Bolar represent the sparse settlement pattern of the era. The presence of Traceys Switch and Skidmore Crossing along the waterways highlights how transport was tethered to the river valleys before modern highway expansion.