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1922 Map of Altoona

Name: 1922 Topographic Map of Altoona
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1946
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1946

About this map

The Allegheny Front escarpment dominates this early 1920s survey, creating a dramatic physical divide between the plateau to the west and the industrial valleys to the east. In the valley below the ridge, the industrial development of Altoona is clearly defined by the massive operations of the Pennsylvania Railroad, including the shops and yards at Juniata. This rail network was the lifeblood of the region, connecting the residential districts of East End and Greenwood to the northern manufacturing centers of Bellwood and Tyrone.

Rural life persists on the heights of the Allegheny and Dean townships, where numerous country schools like Dakota School and Richland School served isolated communities. The map captures a transitional moment for the region's infrastructure, showing the burgeoning Pennsylvania Turnpike alongside older routes through Bell's Gap. These pathways trace the historical movement of coal and timber from the uplands down to the Little Juniata River corridor.