Issued in 1925 by the United States Post Office Department, this Post Route Map of the State of West Virginia presents a meticulously organized portrait of communication at a pivotal moment in the early twentieth century. Prepared under the authority of Postmaster General Harry S. New (1923–1926), it captures the postal service’s methodical reach across every county, from the Ohio River to the Potomac Highlands. County boundaries are cleanly delineated in outline color, while fine black-and-white detailing clarifies the dense network of settlements and thoroughfares. Beyond its cartographic elegance, the map is a historical record of how information, money orders, parcels, and personal correspondence coursed through a mountainous state whose economy and civic life depended on timely, reliable connections.

At the heart of the composition lies a comprehensive rendering of post offices—each marked and labeled—and the web of postal routes that bind them. County seats stand out as administrative anchors, revealing how governance and communication overlapped in practical, daily use. The routes themselves illuminate the postal logic of the period: steady lines linking industrial centers to county courthouses and threading into remote valleys where coal camps and farmsteads relied on regular service. In West Virginia’s challenging topography, these paths were more than lines on paper; they were lifelines that coordinated commerce, education, newspaper circulation, and the rhythms of community life.

Equally compelling is the overlay of transportation systems that made this network possible. Railroads stride across the state, mirrored by electric railways that once ferried commuters, goods, and mail between close-set towns. Canals and navigable rivers—older arteries still relevant in 1925—are highlighted, testifying to an era when waterborne transport shaped settlement and trade. Together, these layers show how mail moved with and against terrain: up the Kanawha and New River corridors, along the Ohio River towns, and through the Eastern Panhandle’s rail-linked passageways. The map thus offers a rare, integrated view of technology, geography, and logistics converging to sustain a modernizing Appalachia.

The geography of names on this map reads like a concise social history of the state. Charleston, the capital, anchors a hub of routes along the Kanawha; Huntington stretches commerce down the Ohio; Wheeling’s industrial legacy is balanced by Parkersburg’s river trade and Morgantown’s academic pull. Clarksburg, Fairmont, and Elkins knit together the north-central interior, while Martinsburg and Berkeley Springs hint at the Eastern Panhandle’s historic ties to the mid-Atlantic. In the south, Beckley, Logan, and Pineville chart the coalfields’ ascendance; Summersville and Fayetteville evoke the plateau above the New River Gorge; Moundsville and Point Pleasant stand at storied confluences. Inset maps focus attention where complexity intensifies, sharpening the cartographic lens on dense corridors and urban nodes.

Historically, this map stands at the intersection of public administration and economic development. Under Harry S. New’s tenure, the Post Office refined standards, schedules, and routing across a growing national system; this state-wide chart translates those policies into practice on West Virginia ground. It preserves the last years when canals still mattered, the maturity of the great railroads, and the heyday of electric interurbans—each a stage in the relay that carried messages and markets forward. For historians, collectors, and anyone tracing family or commercial pathways, the map is both an instrument and an archive: a lucid plan of operations and a narrative of how communication made the Mountain State cohere.

Places on this map

• Charleston (Capital)
• Morgantown
• Huntington
• Wheeling
• Parkersburg
• Fairmont
• Clarksburg
• Beckley
• Martinsburg
• Keyser
• Elkins
• Logan
• Pineville
• Summersville
• Weston
• Berkeley Springs
• Ripley
• Moundsville
• Fayetteville
• Point Pleasant

Notable Features & Landmarks

• Post Offices: Clearly indicated with symbols and labels.
• Postal Routes: Depicted as lines connecting various points.
• County Seats: Marked for reference, aiding in navigation and understanding county governance.
• Towns and Cities: Various towns throughout the state are labeled.
• Railroads: Shown across the map, indicating transportation routes.
• Canals: Highlighted, showcasing earlier waterway transport systems.
• Electric Railroads: Identified, indicating the advancement of public transportation.
• Rivers: Major rivers outlined, which are vital for trade and transport.
• Inset Maps: Detailed sections showing parts of the state with more complexity.

Historical and design context

• Published: 1925 by the United States Post Office Department
• Mapmaker: Created under the authority of Postmaster General Harry S. New
• Historical Context of the Mapmaker: Harry S. New served as the Postmaster General from 1923 to 1926, during a time when the U.S. postal system was evolving to meet the demands of a growing nation.
• Topics and Themes: The map showcases the postal infrastructure, including post offices, postal routes, and transportation networks like railroads and canals—key for understanding communication and trade in early 20th-century America.
• Design/Style: The map features a combination of outline color and black-and-white detail, with County boundaries prominently displayed and a clean, organized layout that facilitates navigation.
• Historical Significance: This map is significant as it reflects the postal service's structure in 1925, illustrating transportation and communication networks crucial for the economic development of the region.

Please double check the images to make sure that a specific town or place is shown on this map. You can also get in touch and ask us to check the map for you.

This is a very large map that must be ordered at a large size, so that you can easily make out all of the details.

This map looks amazing at sizes all the way up to 100in (250cm). If you are looking for a larger map, please get in touch.

The model in the listing images is holding the 24x36in (60x90cm) version of this map.

The fifth listing image shows an example of my map personalisation service.

If you’re looking for something slightly different, check out my collection of the best old maps to see if something else catches your eye.

Please contact me to check if a certain location, landmark or feature is shown on this map.

This would make a wonderful birthday, Christmas, Father's Day, work leaving, anniversary or housewarming gift for someone from the areas covered by this map.

This map is available as a giclée print on acid free archival matte paper, or you can buy it framed. The frame is a nice, simple black frame that suits most aesthetics. Please get in touch if you'd like a different frame colour or material. My frames are glazed with super-clear museum-grade acrylic (perspex/acrylite), which is significantly less reflective than glass, safer, and will always arrive in perfect condition.

This map is also available as a float framed canvas, sometimes known as a shadow gap framed canvas or canvas floater. The map is printed on artist's cotton canvas and then stretched over a handmade box frame. We then "float" the canvas inside a wooden frame, which is available in a range of colours (black, dark brown, oak, antique gold and white). This is a wonderful way to present a map without glazing in front. See some examples of float framed canvas maps and explore the differences between my different finishes.

For something truly unique, this map is also available in "Unique 3D", our trademarked process that dramatically transforms the map so that it has a wonderful sense of depth. We combine the original map with detailed topography and elevation data, so that mountains and the terrain really "pop". For more info and examples of 3D maps, check my Unique 3D page.