1924 Map of Welch

About this map

The coalfield geography of McDowell County is meticulously documented here, showing a landscape defined by the Norfolk and Western RR as it snakes through narrow valleys. The city of Welch serves as the central hub, surrounded by a dense network of mining settlements and industrial outposts like Kimball, Coalwood, and Gary. The map illustrates the intense rail-to-river relationship of the era, where tracks closely follow the Tug Fork and its numerous tributaries to serve operations like the Warrior Mine. Significant for genealogical research, the sheet preserves the locations of early 20th-century institutions, including the Mill Creek School and the Shannon Branch School, along with post offices such as Juverna PO and Capels PO that once anchored these hollows during the region's industrial peak.