1924 Map of Welch

About this map

The Norfolk and Western RR carves through the narrow valleys of southern West Virginia, anchoring a network of coal towns and post offices during the mid-1920s. Centered on the hub of Welch, the landscape is defined by the tight confluence of Tug Fork and the Fork, where rail infrastructure supports dense settlement at Hemphill, Maitland, and Kimball. The map captures the industrial character of the era, from the Warrior Mine south of English to the company towns of Coalwood, Gary, and Thorpe. Genealogists will find significant detail in the placement of rural institutions like the Mill Creek School and Shannon Branch School, alongside vanished postal stops like Dry Fork Lomax PO and Dixopoca Superior PO. This survey documents the intense development of the Pocahontas Coalfield before later decades of consolidation altered the region's map.