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1959 Map of Aurora

Name: 1959 Topographic Map of Aurora
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1970
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1970

About this map

Cathedral State Park stands as a focal point in this high-altitude corner of Preston County, where the George Washington Highway winds through the Appalachian landscape. The late 1950s settlement pattern is defined by clustered farmsteads and rural crossroads like Aurora, Eglon, and Amboy. This region is characterized by its numerous small-scale religious and educational centers, including the Accident Sch Maple Grove Ch and Stemple Ridge Ch, which served the local timber and farming families.

Elevated ridges like Brushy Knobs and Shaffer Mountain separate the deep valleys formed by Rhine Creek and Wolf Creek. The map documents the northern reaches of the Monongahela National Forest and localized extractive industries, evidenced by quarries and strip mines near the Maryland border. Genealogists will find a wealth of family history preserved in remote burial grounds such as Beachy Cem and the Mt Olivet Cem near Lantz Ridge.