1915 Map of Williamson

About this map

Williamson stands as the primary hub along the Tug Fork river, which serves as the winding border in this 1915 survey. The landscape is defined by the sharp, dendritic drainage patterns characteristic of the Central Appalachian coalfields, where the Norfolk and Western Ry follows the riverbank to connect small valley settlements. The map documents the early 20th-century development of mining towns and railroad stops including Chattaroy, Nolan, and Goodman. This advance sheet represents a critical cooperation between the state surveys of Kentucky and West Virginia, capturing the precise topography and county line between Pike Co and Mingo Co. Beyond the populated valleys, the dense network of ridges is broken only by smaller waterways like Pigeon Creek, illustrating the geographic isolation of these communities before modern road systems.