224 



CONDITIONS BY (JOUN'Mt'S. 



Topography. 



Spruce mountain, lying in the western part of the county, — 

 and mentioned more particularly under another head — is the 

 highest mountain in West Virginia, attaining near its southern 

 extremity an elevation of 4,860 feet. From this mountain east- 

 ward there is a succession of high, parallel ridges or folds of the 

 Alleghanies extending through the county from northeast to 

 southwest. The loftiest and longest of these are North Fork 

 mountain, in the center, and Shenandoah or Great North moun- 

 tain on the east. Along the bases of these mountains are num- * 

 erous lesser ridges and peaks, some of which are designated as 

 follows : Timber ridge, Grassy mountain and Snowy mountain, 

 in the North Fork basin; Cave mountain, Pretty ridge, Big 

 mountain, Little mountain. Tract hill, CoUetts mountain, 

 Buffalo hills. Pond ridge, Lankey mountain, Easy mountain, 

 Bible knob, Moser knob. Pickle mountain, Raleman mountain. 

 Panther knob, Bobs mountain, Simmons mountain, and others, 

 at the eastern base of North Fork mountain; Middle mountain, 

 South Fork Mountain, Sweedlin hill, Long ridge, and Town 

 mountain, scattered along the east side of the South Branch of 

 the Potomac and on both sides of the South Fork. 



Three swift-flowing rivers course toward the northeast 

 through the county. The South Branch of the Potomac flows 

 near the center and its North and South forks at about equal 

 distances from it on the northwest and the southeast. These 

 rivers are fed by many small streams and by cold springs that 

 issue from the wooded mountains along their courses. 



Original Forest Conditions. 



"With a vertical range in altitude of a little more than 3,500 

 feet this county becomes the natural home of a great variety of 

 trees and shrubs and other plants. In the rich river valleys 

 grew many hardwoods, such as the oaks, the maples, the walnuts 

 and the yellow poplar ; while on the cold summits of the highest 

 mountains where the original conditions still exist only such 

 species as can endure a Canadian climate find a congenial home. 

 Among these are the red spruce, the mountain ash, the yellow 



