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1939 Map of Allentown

Name: 1939 Topographic Map of Allentown
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1943
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1943

About this map

The Lehigh River corridor serves as the industrial and transportation backbone of this region during the 1930s, defined by the heavy infrastructure of the Lehigh and New England RR and the Central RR of New Jersey. The industrial character of the valley is punctuated by a large Cement Plant and the surviving path of the Lehigh Canal, illustrating the evolution from water-based transport to rail and highway. To the north, the Allentown Bethlehem Airport represents the newer era of transit emerging near Shoenersville.

Away from the riverbanks, the landscape is densely populated with local landmarks that define early twentieth-century community life. Dozens of family-named and community schools, such as Washington Sch and Jackson Sch, are scattered across townships like Hanover and Lower Nazareth. Cultural sites like Lost Cave and the County Home provide insight into the social geography of the era, while the rural fringes near Gault Hill and Granite Hill maintain a distinct topographic character.