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1926 Map of West Union

Name: 1926 Topographic Map of West Union
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1926
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1926

About this map

Middle Island Creek winds through this rugged portion of northern West Virginia, where the 1920s landscape is defined by the sharp relief of ridges like Raymond Ridge and the unique oxbow known as The Jug. The map documents a densely settled rural economy anchored by the Baltimore and Ohio railroad corridor in the south, connecting towns like Pennsboro, Tollgate, and West Union.

Genealogists and local historians will find a remarkable density of neighborhood landmarks, from the Morning Star church to dozens of one-room schoolhouses such as Rising Sun School and Muddy Creek School. Small industrial and postal outposts like Bowles Mills and Centerville Alma PO illustrate the era's reliance on local milling and decentralized mail service before the modernization of the road network. The numerous named runs and hollows, including Mistake Run and Purgatory Run, provide a detailed record of the traditional place-names used by the families who farmed these hills.