WEST VIRGINIA GEOLOGICAL SURVEY. 



GILMER COUNTY. 



139 



Location and Area. 



Gilmer county, formed in 1845 from parts of Lewis and 

 Kanawha, lies in the third tier of counties east of the Ohio river 

 and is a little northwest of the center of the State. Its area is 

 367 square miles or 234,880 acres. 



Topography. 



The surface of the county is hilly. In most parts the slopes 

 are gentle and the crests of ridges and the hilltops are well 

 rounded. At various places, however, the slopes are steep and 

 rough giving the hills an uneven and angular appearance. 



The lowest land is along the valley of the Little Kanawha 

 river which falls about 50 feet in its course through the county, 

 entering on the east at 750 feet and leaving on the west at 700 

 feet. The hills rise to a height of 1,000 feet, and over, through- 

 out the county and in many places reach an altitude of 1,200 to 

 1,300 feet. Locust knob, in the eastern part near the Braxton 

 county line, rises to 1,600 feet. 



The Little Kanawha river traverses the county from east to 

 west for a distance of 25 miles. All the other streams are its tri- 

 butaries. Of these the larger ones are Steer creek, Grass ru_n. 

 Cedar creek and Duck creek, flowing in from the south, and Tan- 

 ner creek. Sinking creek, Leading creek, Stewart creek and Sand 

 Fork, flowing in from the north. 



The Original Forest Conditions. 



The countj^ once had a superior hardwood forest. "White 

 oak, yellow poplar and black walnut were the most valual^le of 

 the predominant hardwoods. The white oak, especially, has been 

 much sought after on account of its freedom from defects and its 

 unusual durability. Chestnut, hickory, beech, basswood, white 

 ash, sugar and red maple, red, black, chestnut and scarlet oak, 

 locust and sycamore were other common hardwoods. White pine 



